A Simple Twist of Fate
by Victory-Starr
Summary: It's been about 14 years since Gary started getting the Paper. Just when he's thinking that he'll never really get what he's always wanted out of life, things change dramatically. He gets some shocking news that will change his life forever.
1. Just Around the Corner

**A/N **I came up with this a little while ago. I don't know if there are any others like it, but the idea wouldn't leave so I decided to give it a shot. Let me know what you think and most of all; Enjoy!

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A Simple Twist of Fate**_

**1. Just Around the Corner**

On a cold, rainy evening in late October, Gary walked into McGinty's. Shivering, he took off his coat and sat down at the bar. Marissa was sitting there, a mug of hot cocoa in front of her.

"So how'd it go?" She asked, expectantly. She took a sip of the steaming drink.

"Not so good," Gary answered tiredly, pouring himself some cocoa, "Instead of walking in front of a bicyclist and breaking his leg, the man walks right into a telephone pole and breaks his nose. I mean, what is so difficult about watching out for where you're going?"

Marissa grimaced, "Well, Gary, at least you helped him. A nose injury is much less severe than a leg injury. You did fine."

"Yeah, well, you know," Gary said, exasperated, "That's just it; everyday for the past fourteen years, I've done fine. I've done fine by pulling people out of burning buildings, throwing people out the way of giant fire trucks, and keeping kids from walking away with a stranger. But when will I get to settle down? Marissa, I'm 44-years-old now. Its getting kind of late now for kids, but you know; that's all I've ever wanted to do; have a family, someone to come home to at night. But what do I get? This; this Paper and, and a cat. When can I get a break?" He took a deep breath and let out a discouraged sigh.

Marissa put her hand on top of her friends. "Don't worry," She told him softly, "You're a family man, Gary. You're meant for kids. And besides; you never know what might be just around the corner."

* * *

Two weeks later, Gary was sitting in the office, pouring over his mail that he hadn't had time to read.

"Bill… junk… more bills…" He continued to mutter, "Even more bills… hey, wait; what's this?" He pulled out an important looking envelope addressed to him from the CCA; _Chicago Children's Agency_.

Curiously, he tore open the mysterious letter. What he read shocked him. This couldn't be true. It was impossible… wasn't it? Feeling faint, Gary grabbed the edge of the desk for support.

"Marissa! Marissa!" He called out franticly, "Marissa, get in here!"

Not a moment later, he could hear the _CLICK-CLACK_ of his friends cane as she made her way to the office from the kitchen.

"Gary, Gary, what is it?" She asked, clearly confused, "What on earth are you shouting about?"

"This." Gary said quietly, forgetting for a moment that his friend couldn't see.

"This what?" Marissa shook her head.

"This; this letter," Gary replied more thoroughly, still staring at the letter in his hands, "It's a letter from the CCA. Marcia passed away a week ago."

"Oh, no," Marissa gasped, "I'm so sorry, Gary. But, what does that have to do with the CCA?"

"Did someone say CPD?" A voice said. Gary turned his head and noticed Patrick; his head sticking in the doorway. Patrick had come back to Chicago two years ago and had been working at McGinty's ever since.

"What?" Gary asked.

"Did you say CPD, Mr. Hobson?" Patrick asked, "Are you, like, a bad umbrae? 'Cause, I mean, if you are, then I might have to testify and I have an appointment tomorrow at two o'clock and I –"

"Patrick!" Gary interrupted, "No, I did not say CPD! Now, would you get back to work; please!"

"Yes, sir, Mr. Hobson." And with that, the younger man was gone.

Gary sighed and ran his hand through his hair. "Marissa, do you remember the other day when we were talking and you said that you never know what might be around the corner?"

Marissa nodded, "Yes."

"Well, you were right, Marissa," Gary told her, his voice a bit shaky, "It appears that when Marcia and I divorced, she was pregnant… with twins. Twins, Marissa! And she never told me! Do you understand what this means?"

"Gary, you're a father." Marissa stated, her own voice now shaky, "All this time… Gary, what are you going to do?"

"Well, this letter says that Marcia's will stated that at her death, if the children weren't of age, then they were to come live with me," Gary explained, "Marissa, these kids aren't of age. They'll be 15-years-old in June. They want to send them here in three days."

"Three days? Gary, that's on Friday. That doesn't give you much time to get ready."

"Yeah, well, I'm going to have to." And with that, Gary stood up, stuffed the letter in his pocket and walked out of the room.

Left alone in the room, Marissa sent up a silent prayer for Gary. He was going to need all the help he could possibly get.

* * *

The next day, Gary received, yet, another interesting letter; this one from Marcia herself. This one had been sent by her sister. Marcia had instructed her to send this to Gary if she passed away. Alone in the office, Gary opened it up and began reading;

_ Dear Gary, as I write this, I am in the hospital with a serious case of Pneumonia. I have been here a few weeks and I know that, soon, I will pass on. I am not as strong as I should like and do not have the strength to carry on much longer. I fear for the children, Gary; our children.  
__I am so sorry for what I did to you, Gary. And I have regretted it for fourteen years. It was only a little while after our divorce, when I learned that I was pregnant. And even though I knew you wanted children so badly, I did not have the heart to tell you; not after what I had done. So, I planned on having an abortion. But, the day came and I couldn't go through with it. And I believe that was, by far, the wisest decision I ever made. The twins are my life, Gary, and without them, I would be lost.  
The children are; Garret Luke and Lohan Noelle. Luke is the older one and his name is meant as a heritage from you. And though I'm sure you are angry with me, I hope you are proud of your son. He is a good boy, Gary. He tries to please; he's smart and well-behaved. But he is growing up and he needs a father, Gary, for I never re-married.  
Lohan is a wonderful girl. She has a keen interest in horses and I regret that I have never been able to give her one of her own. She, too, is smart and so well-behaved. But she needs a daddy. She has never known that fatherly love and as she enters into these rough and complicated teenage years, she will need that more than ever.  
__I've never wanted anything, but the best for these children, Gary. And in my passing, I am sure that the best is you. Please care for them and love them as if you have done so all their lives. They will need it so much. And, again, I am so sorry, Gary; for everything. Please forgive me and try to understand, for I am counting on you.  
Sincerely yours, Marcia _

Gary stopped reading and just stared at the page for a moment. Then he shook his head. He was still having a hard time grasping the fact that he was a father. It felt so strange. As his eyes skimmed the letter, he came to realize that he was not angry as Marcia had thought he would be; no, he wasn't. And he didn't understand that either. Shouldn't he be angry? After all, for the past fourteen years he had been a father and she had kept that from him. She had moved to Springfield and said nothing to him. But, yet, he felt at peace. It was a strange feeling. Realizing that it was time for him to make, yet, another save, Gary stuck the letter in his pocket, slipped on his leather jacket, and headed out the door.

* * *

Just a few hours later, Gary was re-reading the letter from Marcia when it occurred to him that after the hectic two days he had had, he hadn't even called his parents to let them know what had happened. He knew that his mother would be first shocked, and then completely overjoyed. And his father, well, he wasn't sure how he would react. Letter still in hand, Gary reached for the phone on the desk and dialed his parents number in Hickory, Indiana. After two rings, someone picked up.

Lois and Bernie Hobson were resting in the living room of their house in Hickory, Indiana. It had been a nice day for the both of them. Lois had gone out with some of her lady friends and they had had a nice lunch together laughing and talking. Bernie had gone out with "the guys" and they outdid one another at golfing. All in all, it had been a great day, but now after supper at 7 o'clock in the evening, the couple was tired.

Bernie finally broke the silence that had come over the room, "When the last time ya heard from Gary, hon?" He asked his wife.

Lois sat her coffee cup down thoughtfully, "Not in about two or three weeks," She replied with a frown, "It's been a long time. Do you think he's alright Bernie?"

"Ah, I'm sure he's fine," Bernie shoved away any worry, "You know Gary. He's got a lot on his mind. I mean, you and I have handled the Paper two or three times before. It's not easy. Gary does it everyday. I wouldn't worry about him, Lo."

"Yeah, maybe you're right," Lois shrugged. Suddenly the phone rang and Lois hurried to pick it up. "Hello? Hobsons residence," She spoke into the telephone.

"Hey, mom," Gary greeted her. Inside, he was wondering how he was going to break the news to his parents that they had twin grandchildren.

"Gary!" Lois exclaimed, "Bernie pick up the phone! It's Gary!"

Surprised, Bernie leapt from his chair and grabbed another telephone.

"Gare! Good to hear from ya!" Bernie greeted his son, "So how's it going, son?"

"Um, okay, I, I'm okay," Gary stammered. The up-coming topic was getting him really nervous, "I, I'm okay... I guess."

"What's the matter, Gary?" Lois asked, concerned for her son, "You sound like you've got something on your mind."

"Well," Gary cleared his throat, "I, I do, actually. There is something on my mind."

"Well, c'mon Gare! Spill the beans!" Bernie exclaimed, unable to handle the suspense anymore.

"Well, um, I – mom, dad; I'm a father." He got it out quickly before he could change his mind.

For a moment there was silence. No one said anything. Finally the shock eased up a bit and Bernie spoke up; "Way to go, son! Man, you don't do things half way, do ya?"

"Hush, Bernie," Lois interrupted, "Gary, what on earth are you talking about? How could you possibly be a father? I mean, we just talked to you a little while ago. You've never said anything about–-–"

"– –Whoa, mom!" Gary stopped his mother, "Hold on. It's nothing like that. Now listen carefully, alright, because it's going to be kinda hard to explain…"

* * *

Later that evening, Gary was sitting at the bar; his head in his hands. He was tired; tired, worried, and overwhelmed. He had been busy all day making saves, arrangements, and trying to get the loft ready to temporarily house three people. It wasn't easy.

He was suddenly aware of Marissa taking a seat beside him. She was quiet for a moment, and then she put her hand on Gary's shoulder. "It's not going to be easy, Gary," She told him, gently, "This is going to be a big change; not only for you, but for the children. Gary, everything they've ever known; their friends, their mother, their house - its all being ripped away from them. They're leaving the only place, the only life they've ever known to come to Chicago and live with a complete stranger. It's going to be rough."

"Yeah, I was just thinking that," Gary sighed, "And you know what else I was thinking, Marissa? I was thinking; I've got the Paper here, too. Not only am I supposed to care for these kids - and don't get me wrong; I want to very much - but I'm also supposed to take care of all of Chicago. Marissa, I don't know if I can do this."

Marissa rested her hand on Gary's, "You can, Gary. I know you can."

* * *

The next day passed by quickly and before Gary knew it, it was Friday and he was pacing back and forth in the bar. He was wearing a green flannel shirt, jeans, and a pair of _Nikes_. The Paper, which surprisingly had nothing for him that day, was sticking out of his back pocket. It was about two o'clock in the afternoon and he was waiting; waiting as he had been for the past half hour for the social worker to bring the children; _his_ children. It still scared him a bit to think of that. He had always thought that he would have 9 months to get used to the idea of having such a responsibility... for _one_ child; a baby. But, instead he had had _three days_ to get used to having the responsibility of two teenagers. It was all very overwhelming.

Then, as the clock struck five-past-two, in walked a woman who looked like she was in her mid-sixties. Her thin, gray hair was pulled back tightly into a bun, yet she wore a smile that was sure to warm anybody's heart.

"Good day," She greeted Gary, "You're Gary Hobson, are you not?"

"Yes, ma'am," Gary replied, shaking her hand, "And you are...?"

"I'm Myrtle Landis," She introduced herself, shaking the hand he offered; "I'm the case worker for Garret Luke and Lohan Noelle. I am told that you are their father, is that true?"

Gary nodded, "Yes, ma'am, Ms. Landis. That's right."

The woman nodded her head, "Very well. I am so sorry I was late, but the traffic is unbelievable out there! But let us get down to business; I will bring in the children, we'll have a look about your place, and if all is well, then we will secure the matters officially," She stepped outside the door for a moment, "Children, you may come in now."

And at the next moment, Gary got his first look at the kids he always wanted.

In walked two scared and saddened teenagers. The first was tall. His dark hair was parted neatly to one side. The second was shorter than her brother by many inches. Her dark hair was pulled neatly into one braid down her back. And both children bore familiar looking mud-green eyes that showed sorrow and fear.

Then Ms. Landis broke the silence; "Mr. Hobson, this is Luke and Lohan. Children; this is your father - Gary Hobson."

The kids slowly lifted their eyes from the ground and for a moment met Gary's before they quickly darted back down to their tennis shoes.

"Well, um," Ms. Landis broke the silent, tense moment, "Let us have a look around, shall we?"

And with those words, Gary began to give the woman and children "the tour". This went on for about an hour and throughout this time span, the children said nothing to Gary, or him to them. Finally, after seeing everything in every room in the building, Ms. Landis was satisfied with what she saw.

"Well, Mr. Hobson," The social worker announced, "I do believe that what I have found in your home is satisfactory. And if you're ready," She glanced at the still quiet kids who were sitting silently at a table, "If you are ready, then you may sign these papers stating that you, the father of these children, have agreed to care, nurture, and protect them until they are of age. This will give you right to take these children out of state, bring them to the doctor, and let me add; legally change their name from to Hobson. Do you understand?"

Gary nodded, as he read the legal paper. And when he was through, he signed the necessary places. Then standing up from his chair, he handed the woman the papers, "Is that it?" He asked her, expectantly.

"That's it," She smiled, "I'll be back in about two weeks to check up on things. But, in the mean time, I must be going. I have an appointment in half an hour and heaven knows how long it will take me to get there with such traffic." She walked over to the twins who were still sitting silently at a table a few feet away. "Children," She got their attention, "I'm leaving you now. I want you to behave and do as Mr. Hobson tells you, do you understand?"

They nodded.

"Good," She smiled, "In that case, I will be back in two weeks to see how you're doing. And I hope that I will have a good report. Good day!" And with those final words she left through the _McGinty's _front door.

Gary sighed a little uneasily. All was up to him now and he knew it. Well, in that case, important matters first. He picked up the kids' bags from beside the front door. "Come on, you two," He nodded towards the office. Obediently, they got up from their table and followed the man upstairs.

When they got upstairs, Gary instructed the kids to sit down on the couch. They did as they were told as Gary sat their bags down by the door. Then he sat down across from them. He took a deep breath before he started.

"I'm sure you two understand all that went on down there, right?" He asked them.

They just nodded. This frustrated Gary. They hadn't said a word the entire time they'd been there.

"Well, tell me then what happened." Gary suggested.

Neither twin said a word. They just sat there, staring off into thin air. Gary sighed.

"Alright then," He nodded at Luke, "Luke, tell me what just happened down stairs."

"Ms. Landis has brought us here to live with you," Luke said, "Be-because they say t-that you're our real, um, father."

"Go on." Gary nodded.

"Now, that mom is, is gone we're to live with you until we're at least eighteen," Luke continued, "And our last name has been changed to… Hobson. We, we're yours now, I guess." He added quietly, again, staring at the ground.

"That's right," Gary nodded, "Now; I want to settle things between the three of us, okay?"

Again, the twins just nodded. Gary didn't let this bother him anymore. He just took it as a sign that they had heard him and he continued.

"Luke, Lohan," They looked up at him, "We're family. And I know it hasn't and probably still doesn't seem that way, but it's true. And I want you two to know... that I want you here," He told them gently, "I want you both to like it here and I know its all going to take some getting used to, but I would like it if you could eventually get around to calling me 'dad'."

The twins just fidgeted nervously; Luke flicked imaginary lint off his jeans while his sister suddenly found her bracelet very interesting.

"Now, I know this is kind of a lot, so in the meantime, you can just call me 'Gary'," Gary continued, "And also; if you ever need help with anything, if you have any questions, or just want to talk, I want you to feel that you can come to me, alright?"

Expecting two more nods of the head, Gary was surprised when Lohan spoke up for the first time. "I've got a question," She volunteered.

"What's that, Lohan?" Gary asked, still a bit surprised.

"If you're our father, than why is it that all our life, we've seen only one picture of you," She added; a harsh tone in her voice. This startled Gary at first, "We've seen a wedding photo of you and mother, but never have we heard from you; not once. All we knew about you was what we could tell from that picture and that your name is Gary Hobson," She gazed around the furnished loft, "And mom always said that you were a stockbroker. Not a, a..."

"Bar owner?" Gary asked; a slight smile on his face.

The nod came again.

"Well, part of what you say is true, Lohan," Gary finally said, "I've never contacted you, never visited you, heck; I've never even sent you a birthday card, have I?" The twins shook their heads, "But there's a reason for that." Gary added.

"Why?" Luke asked quietly. If someone asked him, he would have to admit, he liked his father. He seemed kind and caring. He, for one, thought it was kind of cool that his dad owned a bar. And judging by some of the photos sitting here-and-there, his father enjoyed sports. This made Luke smile. He liked sports, too.

Gary sighed, running his fingers through his hair, "You're mother and I had some complications, Luke; some misunderstandings. And in time, I'll explain it all to both of you, but right now I think we should just let the subject rest for a while. I think it would be better if we discussed it once we all knew and understood one another better, alright?"

"Yes, sir," Came the reply this time, which also startled Gary. He had been expecting, yet another nod.

Gary smiled, "Good," He stood up, motioning for them to do the same, "I've, um, these two couches here," he pointed to the couches they had been sitting on, "They're sofa-beds. They fold out to sleep on. It's all I have for you right now. This was all, um, well, kind of short notice. But there are two smaller rooms across the hall from here. They're not fit to live in right now, but I've, um, already started arranging for carpenters and such. Eventually, those rooms will be your bedrooms... and a bathroom. But, for now I'm afraid the only place I have for you is these couches. I'm really sorry."

"That's alright," Luke spoke up, "It'll be fine; I'm sure. We're, um, lucky to even have a home now, I guess." He absent-mindedly traced the design on a chair.

"Please understand that I've been waiting for you, Luke, Lohan." Gary told them. This confused the kids and they looked up at Gary, "You guys, I've always wanted kids; always. That's all I've ever wanted. And now that you're here, well, I think I'm probably the happiest man alive. You two are what I've always wanted, what I've been waiting for all my life."

This made both kids smile.

"Please don't feel as if you're lucky to be here," Gary finished, "I want you here. When you think of home, I want you to eventually be able to immediately think of this as your home. You're not lucky to be here; that's just not true. You're here because I _want_ you here. That's not luck; that's purpose."

Luke grinned while Lohan frowned. But, Gary didn't seem to notice, "Well," He said, "I'll leave you two to unpack," He indicated a large, eight-drawer dresser, "I'll be downstairs if you need me." And with that he left the kids to their own devices.

"What do you think, Luke?" Lohan asked with a frown, as they were alone for the first time and could talk privately.

"About what?" Luke asked, stooping down to unzip his large suitcase.

"About Gary," Lohan explained, reluctantly bending down to start unpacking, "What do you think of him?"

"What do you want me to say?" Luke asked her suspiciously.

"I want you to say you hate him, you wish mother were here, and that you're going to leave as soon as you get the chance." She stated angrily, stamping her foot as if to prove her point.

If it hadn't been for the circumstances, Luke would have laughed out loud at his sister's actions, but he didn't. Instead, he said; "Well, I will agree with you about some of that," He said, lifting a stack of shirts from his bag and placing them into a drawer. Lohan watched him expectantly, "I do wish that mom was here. This all seems so unreal still," He bravely blinked away the tears that had threatened to spill over ever since his mother's death, "But I have to disagree with you too, Lohan." He added.

Lohan sighed, as socks and underwear went into a top drawer.

"I like Gary, Lohan," Luke looked her in the eye, "He's made us feel welcome and loved. He seems kind and caring, I know he likes sports," He proved his point by pointing to a photo of their father in a _Cubs_ hat with a ball and glove in hand, "And I think owning a bar is cool. Why don't you give him a chance, Lohan?"

The girl shook her head, "I won't. I won't. I hate him, Luke. I hate him for signing those papers, for keeping us here! Did you here what he said; _purpose_ is what he said. And I hate him for saying that. I don't want to be here!"

"Well, where do you want to go?" Luke asked, his patience running thin.

Lohan shrugged, blinking her tearful eyes, "I don't know. Away from here," She said, then closed her eyes, "I keep imagining what life would have been like if mom and Gary had stayed together."

Luke nodded. He had been doing that, too.

"I mean, if they had," Lohan wiped tears from her eyes, "Then, well, I guess I wouldn't hate Gary. I, I even suppose I would love him as much as I loved mother. I would have always known him as my father. I've never gotten to go shopping for a Father's Day card... Luke, why didn't he ever come see us?"

"I don't know, Lohan," Luke sighed, as he finished unpacking, "I don't know, but Gary said we would talk about that later. Don't jump to any conclusions just yet. You never know... maybe there's something we don't know, something we don't understand."

And after that, both took it that the conversation was over... for the time being, anyway.

* * *

As Gary trotted down the stairs, leaving the kids to unpack, he thought about all the changes that were to come. He'd have a family to spend Christmas with - finally, he'd give his kids a birthday party, they'd do all sorts of things together... once everyone was more comfortable. He sighed, running his fingers through his hair as he stepped into the office. The days, weeks, and perhaps months ahead were going to be rough on everybody.

When he stepped into the office, Marissa was sitting at the desk. "Well?" She asked him expectantly.

"They're here, Marissa," Gary stated, sitting down in his chair, "They're upstairs unpacking. Marissa, do you think I'm doing the right thing; making them come here to live with a stranger who claims to be the dad they never met? I mean, I'm sure Marcia had plenty of relatives they could've stayed with instead... someone they at least _know_. Is this the right thing to do?"

"Gary, you're doing the right thing. Remember," Marissa reminded him, "Marcia _wanted_ them here with you. She believed that you were the best choice to take care of her children, whom she had thrown her entire self into loving and caring for 14 years. Gary, it's a big decision to choose who will take care of your children if something were to happen to you. You do not make mistakes."

"Yeah, maybe you're right." Gary mumbled.

"I know I'm right. If anything were to happen to Ben and I, I know that the person I'd choose to raise Mary, Chris, and Michael would definitely be you or my sister Tina; I'd have no one else," Marissa continued, "This is one of the most important decisions you can make, Gary, and I'm sure that when Marcia chose you to care for Luke and Lohan, she did not make a mistake. Now, she knew that, I know that, your parents know that, Chuck even knows that! Gary, you and those children are going to have to come to understand that. Because until you do, there's going to be a lot of heartache, hurt, and misunderstanding up there," She pointed upwards to the loft, "You three are going to have to come to realize that you're meant for one another. And even after you do, it still won't be easy."

"I thought that part was coming." Gary mumbled. He really wasn't feeling optimistic right now.

"Gary, those kids are teenagers. And teenagers come with their own problems; just wait," Marissa told him, "Soon enough, if not already, they're going to be battling all sorts of things; peer pressure, dating, everything that comes with teenagers, Gary. You know what I'm talking about."

"Yeah," Gary sighed. "I know. But this is going to be a lot to handle, Marissa. How can I handle it all?"

"You'll be fine, Gary," Marissa told him, "And if you ever need anything, Ben and I will be here for you; I promise."

"Thanks," Suddenly Gary looked up, "Did I tell you that my parents are coming for Christmas?"

"They are?"

"Yeah, they wanted to come right away and meet the kids, but I persuaded them to at least wait until Christmas," Gary explained, "I thought it would probably be better if we took everything slowly."

Marissa nodded, "That's a good idea."

Suddenly, footsteps could be heard coming down the steps from the loft. Gary stood up as the twins quietly entered the room.

"Oh, um, Marissa," Gary said, "These are the twins; Luke and Lohan. Kids, this is my good friend; Marissa Carder."

"It's nice to meet you." Marissa smiled.

Neither twin said anything until Lohan broke the silence; "She's blind." She said bluntly. Luke nodded in agreement.

Gary could feel himself turn red. He knew the remark hadn't bothered Marissa, but just the same, he wished they hadn't spoken that way."

"Don't worry, Gary," Marissa chuckled, as if she could read what Gary was thinking, "It's alright," then to the twins she said; "You're right; I am blind. Have you ever met a blind person?"

They shook their heads and Gary leaned over and whispered in their ear; "Remember; she's blind. She can't see you shake your head." They quickly spoke, letting her know that they had never met a blind person.

"Well, then I'm happy to be the first," She smiled.

"Are you finished unpacking?" Gary asked. Gain, they nodded.

"Alright then, good, because I thought we could go out for dinner tonight," Gary grinned, "How do you two like Chinese?"

Gary watched, stunned, as tears filled Lohan's eyes. She raced out of the room, closely followed by her brother.

Gary scratched his head in wonder. "That was clearly not the reaction I was hoping for." He grabbed his coat from the back of his desk chair and began to head for the door.

"Gary, where are you going?" Marissa asked him.

"I've got to find them. They ran outside, Lohan was crying, and I'm pretty sure these kids don't know their way round Chicago."

And with those words, he left.

* * *

**A/N** Well, that's it. So, what'd ya think? Any comments, questions, advice, ideas? I'd love to hear them! Thanks! 


	2. First Trials & Mixed Feelings

**_A Simple Twist of Fate_**

**2. First Trials & Mixed Feelings

* * *

**

When Gary walked out the McGinty's door, he shivered from they chill. Being the last week of October, it was getting cold. He looked around him. Where should he go? Where did the kids go? Gosh, when Marissa said that things weren't going to be easy, she hadn't been fooling around. "She was right," Gary muttered. "She was darn right." Finally deciding to go left, he started walking.

* * *

Luke raced after his sister. He wouldn't have run out on Gary, but he couldn't let Lohan go out alone. She was crying and she was hurting inside. He knew because he felt the same way; only he didn't cry. He wanted to, but he didn't. In fact, he hadn't even cried at the funeral. He just couldn't bring himself to do it. To him, crying and letting all the feelings go; it made everything seem so final. And it was; he knew it. His mother was dead and she wasn't coming back. He and Lohan were going to live until they were at least eighteen with the father they had only just met a few hours ago. There was no changing things; not really. And it wasn't that he didn't want to live with Gary; he kind of liked him actually. But it was kind of hard seeing him as his father. It would take some getting used to.

Ahead, Lohan slowed to a walk and Luke caught up with her. Gently, he put his arms around her. She was still crying and Luke knew better than to ask why. Besides; he already had an idea why.

As he stood there, his sister crying in his shoulder, he looked around. They had taken so many twists and turns, he now had no idea where they were or how to get back to McGinty's. Spotting an empty alley, he directed his sister into it. He found a large dumpster and the two sat there on the cold ground, both hoping and not hoping that they would be found.

* * *

At first he called the kids' names, but then he began to think that they probably wouldn't answer anyway. Shaking his head, he pulled the Paper from his back pocket. He skimmed the pages and was relieved to find that there was no mention of his children. _His_ children; the words still sounded strange. Was it really true? He was having a hard time accepting it. And it wasn't that he didn't want the kids. Heck; they were exactly what he's always wanted. But things were happening so quickly, it was still so hard to grasp a hold of the fact.

Shaking the thoughts from his mind, he scolded himself for not even paying attention where he was going. He had to start being more aware of what was going on. Discouraged, he sat down at a bus stop. He put his head in his hands and began to think; "Now, if I were them, where would I run to?" But of course, the answer was simple. They didn't know where they were running to. They were just running.

Noticing a man, waiting in line at a telephone booth, he walked up to him. "Excuse me, sir, but have you seen two kids around here?" Gary asked him, "A boy and a girl?"

The man shook his head.

"Are you sure? A boy and girl; about fourteen-years-old, dark hair, so tall…" Gary tried once more. Again the man shook his head, "No? Well, thanks anyway."

Gary continued to ask people about the kids. He always got the same answers though; "No, sorry, but I haven't seen them", or sometimes, "Mister, there are a lot of kids around here. I don't know one from the next. But if your missing someone, you might try the police station", then there were the people who just ignored him and kept walking, and, of course, there were the people who just gave him a distrusting look, quickly said "no" and walked away; most likely thinking of him as a kidnapper.

Tired and discouraged, Gary sighed. He had asked about fifty people and no one had seen the twins. Well, they said they hadn't. If someone had, they didn't say so. Not knowing what else to do, he headed for the police station. Maybe they had turned up there.

He was about two blocks away, when he noticed the Cat meowing on a bench. Gary sighed. "What do you want? Can't you see I'm busy?"

"Meow." The cat jumped off the bench and started running for an alley.

"Fine," Gary muttered, walking after the cat, "But this better be good."

He followed the cat into the empty alley. The cat ran behind a dumpster and Gary followed, more curious then agitated. And there behind the dumpster was not the cat, but Luke and Lohan.

* * *

Lohan shivered and pulled her sweater tighter around her. It was getting later, colder, and she hadn't brought a jacket with her. She turned to her brother, who was wearing a watch.

"Luke," She asked, quietly, "What time is it?"

The boy glanced down at his watch. "It's almost five o'clock. We've been gone for about an hour. It'll be getting dark soon. And it's getting colder," He glanced over at his sister, "Lohan! You're not wearing a jacket!" He wasn't either, but he didn't think of that. At the time, he was just concerned for his sister.

She shrugged, "It was upstairs and besides; I didn't think of it. Luke, I hate Gary."

Luke sighed, "You've already said that, Lohan."

"I know, but I really do mean it," She went on, blinking back tears, "You know, I think he wants to make us upset."

"Lohan!" Luke exclaimed.

"I'm serious," Continued the girl, "I mean; did you hear what he said? He suggested we go out for Chinese. There are two things wrong with that sentence. Number one; does he really think that we'd want to go to dinner with him? He's acting as if we're family!"

"But, we ar—" Luke tried.

"And second of all; why would he suggest Chinese of all things?" She continued, interrupting her brother, "You know, Luke that Chinese was the last meal we had with Mom. And why would he suggest that unless he wanted to make us upset. If he really cared, he wouldn't have even suggested such a thing."

"Permission to speak?" Luke asked a bit agitated. She nodded and he continued, "Lohan there is no way Gary could have known that we last ate Chinese with Mom. There would be no way, unless you are I told him. I know I didn't, and I know you didn't because you've hardly said anything to him. It was a coincidence, is all. It was just a coincidence."

But Lohan shut him out. She wouldn't listen. She hated Gary and she wanted to hate him. She would never think of him as her father; never, nor would she ever think of Chicago as her home. She was here temporarily only and whenever she got the chance to leave, she would.

Suddenly, footsteps could be heard coming down the alley. And a moment later, Gary was standing in front of them, a stunned look on his face. "Luke, Lohan!" He exclaimed, "Where have you been?"

Neither twin said anything, but didn't this surprise Gary. He was becoming used to their silence. It needed to be fixed, but was a minor problem and could be worked on later. But, he was relieved to find the kids. He had really been starting to get worried.

"C'mon," He instructed them. "Stand up now. Let's go get something to eat."

Reluctantly, the kids stood up and Lohan's eyes narrowed as she stated, "No Chinese."

Gary lifted up his hands as if in surrender, "No, alright, alright, no Chinese. We'll get pizza instead; Chicago style. Let's go."

Slowly, they walked toward the pizza parlor. Gary suddenly noticed that neither twin had a coat or jacket when a shiver escaped Lohan's lips. Quickly, Gary pulled his own jacket off and tried to wrap it around the girl's shoulders. She shrugged it off and glared up at Gary, "I don't want your stupid jacket."

Gary was taken aback. Still speechless, he picked the black jacket off the ground and offered it to Luke. Luke just shook his head and Gary slipped the jacket back on. Inside his heart ached; for the kids and for himself. He wanted for them to all be happy together, but it seemed that the kids didn't want to be reached.

They reached the pizza parlor and Gary chose a booth in the corner. The twins both slid into the opposite side of the table from Gary.

"Alright," Gary started, "What kind pizza do you two like? Cheese, veggie, pepperoni, sausage..?"

"I don't eat meat." Lohan stated coldly.

"A-alright, then," Gary stammered, "We'll, um, get some cheese and… what do you like, Luke? You do eat meat, don't you?"

The boy nodded silently.

"Alright, in that case we'll get some pepperoni, too." Gary stated. He got up, ordered their pizza, and came back to the table.

"Alright," Gary started, "Let's address a few things while we wait for our pizza. Number one; you're not to leave McGinty's again without my permission. Understand?" They nodded. "Number two; we're going to have to start talking eventually. You two haven't said much since you've been here. And I don't blame you, but if we're going to get along with one another, there's going to have to be some communication. Do you think we could work on that?"

Again, they nodded. Gary sighed. This was going to take some work.

* * *

Later that night, around 9:30, Gary sent Luke and Lohan to start preparing for bed. While they took turns in the bathroom, Gary unfolded the couches and spread out some blankets. Once they were both ready, they all sat down for one last chat before bed.

"Um, I wanted to let you guys know that as of Monday, you two are going to start school," Gary explained. He could sense the dread in their faces, "James Tyler High School; do you need anything for school?"

Luke shook his head. He didn't need anything. Everything he needed, he already had. But Lohan spoke up.

"I don't need anything either." She stated.

Gary smiled. "Good, in that ca—"

"—Because I'm not going." She interrupted.

At first Gary was stunned; so stunned, in fact, he didn't know what to say. Finally he regained his composure and replied; "Lohan Hobson—"

"—Don't call me that!" She snapped.

"Alright, fine," He let out an aggravated sigh, "Lohan, you are going to school on Monday."

"No, I'm not," She shook her head, "I won't go and you can't make me!"

"You will go and I most certainly can make you," Gary replied, standing up from his chair, "And I don't want you talking to me in that tone of voice, young lady."

"I'll do as I please!" She shouted, tears streaming down her face, "And I'll never do as you say! Never! You can't make me! I'd rather die than stay here with you! I'll kill myself! I will! I, I'll drown myself, or throw m-myself in front of a truck! Or I—"

"—Alright, come on, Lohan," Gary patted the girl's back soothingly, "Hush now, it's alright. Everything's alright."

Lohan wrenched away from Gary's touch, "Stay away from me!"

Gary's eyes widened and he glanced over at Luke, "Is she always like this?"

Luke shook his head and shrugged.

Gary sighed, tapped Luke on the shoulder, and motioned for him to follow him. Still pajama-clad, the boy obeyed. Once out in the hallway, Gary ran his fingers through his hair.

"Luke," He began.

"Yes, sir?" The answer took Gary by surprise.

"Luke, would you mind sleeping downstairs on the sofa in the office tonight?" Gary asked, "Just for tonight? I, I don't know, but I think that, m-maybe Lohan should be alone for now."

Luke nodded, "Sure, Gary. I'll be fine."

After Gary got Luke settled downstairs in the office, he walked out to the bar. He picked up the phone and quickly dialed Marissa's number. After two rings, someone picked up; "Carder Residence." It was Marissa's husband, Ben.

"Hey, Ben, this is Gary," Gary spoke.

"Oh, hey, Gary," Ben greeted him in return, "What's up?"

"Nothing right now, Ben," Gary replied, "But, do you think I could talk to Marissa? It's, um, well, it's kind of important."

"Sure, just hold on a sec."

A few moments later, Marissa picked up the phone. "Gary?" She asked. "Is something the matter? Ben said you sounded…"

"Well, yeah, there is something the matter," Gary told her, "It's Lohan. We were upstairs; one moment, we were having a quiet conversation about school and the next— she starts yelling and screaming and crying. You wouldn't believe some of the things she said, Marissa! I mean, she's just hysterical. What do I do? Is she sick? Do I take her to the doctor? What?"

Marissa took a deep breath, "Gary, you've got to remember Lohan's been through a lot; her brother too," Marissa added. "But they're going to handle their emotions in completely different ways. Luke seems calm, sensible. He handles things differently. But, Lohan is a fourteen-year-old girl, Gary. And girls at this age have their own sets of problems; ones like you just witnessed. Gary, you know what I'm talking about. Their hormones kick in and they let everything out; everyone has emotions, Gary, but girls tend to let it show more. And sometimes that's a good thing." She added quietly.

Gary sighed, "So this is normal?" He asked. "The way she was screaming and crying? What am I supposed to do about it, then? Because normal or not, I can't just let her talk that way to me or anybody else."

"Well, you're right, Gary," Marissa agreed. "You can't, but after everything she's been through, you're going to have to handle things carefully. Where is Lohan now, Gary?"

"She's upstairs. I figured it would probably be best to leave her alone for now." Gary explained.

"Alright, good," Marissa said softly. "Gary, why don't you let things slide tonight? And I'll talk to you some more tomorrow when I get there, alright?"

"Yeah, alright; that sounds good, Marissa," Gary replied. "Thanks."

After he hung up, he leaned back, rubbed his temples and sighed. When Marissa said things weren't going to be easy, she hadn't been fooling around.

* * *

"Meow" Thump.

Gary moaned when he heard the familiar sound. He pulled the pillow over his head, hoping the Cat would give up for the first time in fourteen years. It didn't happen. There was another persistent "meow" outside the door.

Gary peeked out from underneath his pillow and was relieved to see that Lohan was still asleep. After the previous rough night, he decided to let her sleep. Why not? After all, it was only 6:30 AM.

Quietly, he rolled out of bed and padded his way to the door. Just as he was picking up the Paper, Luke came up the stairs.

"Good morning, Luke," Gary mumbled, skimming the front page.

The boy said nothing, which didn't surprise Gary. Preoccupied with the Paper, he let it slide. Yawning, Luke slipped past Gary and went inside the apartment. A few minutes later, Gary had the Paper read and was now dressed in a plaid shirt and jeans. Noticing Lohan still asleep on her bed, Gary jogged down the stairs. As he walked out of the office, he saw Marissa walking in the front door with her guide dog.

"Morning, Marissa," He mumbled, still reading down the Paper.

"Good morning, Gary," She greeted him cheerfully, "How's everything this morning?"

"Well, we're doing fine," Gary replied, "But, of course, it's only 7 o'clock, Luke's the only one who's been up and after 5 minutes he crashed on the couch. So… considering those things, we're doing fine. Marissa, when you said all this wouldn't be easy, you weren't kidding around, were you?"

Marissa shook her head, "No, I wasn't, Gary, but you'll get through this. It'll just take some time."

"Well, what do I do in the meantime then?" Gary asked. "Because if I let things slide too much now, then they're still going to expect them to slide later; I've got to do something, Marissa."

"Well, you're right," Marissa nodded in agreement. "But we have to handle things the right way. If we do something wrong, it could mean disaster. This is like a difficult recipe, Gary; if you put all the right ingredients in at the right times, and then you bake it, it comes out beautifully. But if you don't, and you put in the _wrong _ingredients, and bake it, it's going to come out all wrong in the end. You'll have to start over. Do you understand, Gary?"

Gary nodded, "Yeah, I understand all that. So now, why don't you tell me what the right "ingredients" are, hmm?"

"Well, Gary, you're going to have to use some discipline," Marissa started. "If they do something wrong and they knew it was wrong, then you should punish them; have them come downstairs and wash the dishes, sweep the floor. I'm sure you can think of something. But, do it all calmly, Gary and think before you act. Like I said before; they've been through a lot."

Gary nodded, "Alright then. So, is that it?"

Marissa shook her head. "Gary, all of that is real important, but there is one other thing."

"What?"

"Love, Gary." Marissa replied softly, "Love is the most important thing of all. They've lost their mother, whom they loved very much. Now they're living with you. And I'm sorry, Gary, but they don't see you as their father; not yet. They'll test you, I'm sure. But if you love them, Gary, no matter what; and they see that, then they'll come to love you too. But, it'll take time and a lot of patience."

"Yeah, I can tell."

Suddenly a bunch of yelling could be heard from upstairs. Marissa and Gary exchanged glances, and then Gary started for the stairs."

"Gary," Marissa started.

Gary turned around to face her.

"Love them, Gary."

He nodded, and then turned to the stairs once more.

* * *

_She was beautiful. Her dark hair fell to her shoulders. Her eyes sparkled and danced. She wore a flowing white dress and a wreath of lovely pink flowers in her hair. She smiled comfortingly. She looked like an angel._

_The girl ran towards the woman. She ran as hard, as fast as she possibly could. She would never let her go. Not again. Not ever. But no matter how hard she ran, she could not seem to catch up. She took a deep breath and pushed her self further. "Mama!" She cried out, "Mama! Please wait for me! Please!" She tried, but the girl could not run any further. She took gasping breaths and let herself fall to the soft, lush, green grass beneath her feet. She sobbed as she helplessly watched the beautiful figure, the angelic woman, disappear slowly._

"_No!" She screamed, "No!"_

_But it did no good. The woman was gone. The beautiful woman. The woman who looked like an angel._

* * *

Gray raced up the stairs. What on earth was going on now? He reached the top of the stairs and quickly flung open the door to his apartment. He could hear the shower running and he glanced at the bed. Lohan was still there. Only, instead of lying there peacefully as before, she tossed and turned. And Gary could make out muffled "no!"s as she cried.

Gary ran to her bedside and after pondering it for about 2½ seconds, he gently shook the girl awake. "C'mon, Lohan," He called softly, "Come on now. Wake up, honey. It's just a dream. It's alright."

Finally, the girl stopped twisting and turning. She opened her eyes. "Mama? Where's Mama?" Then everything came flooding back… again. She began to sob openly.

"Shhh, shhh," Gary soothed the girl. When she didn't resist, he sat down beside her on the bed, "I know it doesn't seem like it right now, but things will get better."

Lohan shook her head hard, "No they won't. They never will. Things will never be the same."

Gary put his arm around the girl's shoulders. "Well, you're right. Some things will never be the same. But many things will; like your brother. You have Luke. And what about horses? You'll always love horses, won't you?"

She gave him a curious look. "How'd you know that?"

Gary just smiled. "You'll see, Lohan. Things will get better. It's just gonna take some time, that's all." He quoted Marissa's words.

For a moment, Gary thought he could detect a smile creeping onto the girl's tear-streaked face and Gary felt a rush of relief. "_Maybe I'm finally making a breakthrough!"_ He thought. But as quickly as the smile appeared, it disappeared and was replaced with an angry frown. Lohan ducked from underneath Gary's arms and stood up angrily.

"Stay away from me!" She shouted angrily. "I hate you and I always will! So don't bother with your niceness and trying to be my father. You can just save it! I don't need a father. I've gotten along my whole life without one. Why should I have one now?" And with those words she stomped into the bathroom, which her brother had just emerged from.

Gary had just sat there, wide-eyed through out the girl's little speech. Now he stood up, his shoulders drooping, he walked downstairs.

* * *

Luke watched as Gary slowly left the room without a word. He had witnessed the last few words and it had confused him a lot. He liked Gary, but he liked him for who he was. Though he didn't admit it, he didn't see him as his dad. And why should he, was what he always told himself. After all, he had never had a father before. It was kind of hard to get used to; everything that had happened within the last three weeks was. And he wasn't so sure he wanted to get used to it all. He still had a lot of mixed feelings inside.

* * *

**A/N** Well, that's it. So, what'd ya think? I know this chapter may not have seemed to have much point to it, but it's building up the story. I'm suspect that this story will have many chapters to come, so things just may take time. Any comments, questions, advice, ideas? I'd love to hear them! Thanks-a-billion! You guys are **_awesome_**!

_All Disclaimers Apply. You know the drill._


	3. New Places, New Faces

**_A Simple Twist of Fate  
_****3. New Places, New Faces

* * *

**

It was late that Saturday night; about 10:30 PM. The twins were both asleep in their beds and Gary was resting in his. But, he didn't sleep. He was thinking about all that had occurred that day. Besides a few mishaps, things had pretty much gone smoothly; even the Paper had been slower for a change. And that relieved Gary temporarily of some worry he had been carrying. He knew that at some point he would _have_ to tell the kids about the Paper. They were going to be living under his roof for at _least _another four years. So he knew he'd have to tell them eventually. But just not right now. If he did, it could turn out pretty bad. After all, they hardly knew him. If he were to come up and tell them that he had been getting tomorrow's edition of the_ Chicago Sun-Times_ for over a decade, well, then they would just dismiss him right then and there and sign him off as a lunatic. Gary shook his head in the dark. No, that wouldn't do at all.

Then his mind drifted over to Monday. That was only the day after tomorrow! He had only a day to figure out how he would prepare the kids for school. They didn't want to go. He knew that and he didn't blame them. After all, it's the middle of the school year in a new town; all the friends had been made, all the groups had clicked. What would it be like?

These thoughts in mind, Gary drifted off into a restless sleep.

* * *

The next afternoon over lunch, Gary sighed to himself. It was a heavy news day; well, it hadn't started out that way. He had had the whole morning free; which was more than a good thing;  
Lohan had woken up again with another bad dream. But she wouldn't say what it was about. Actually, she wouldn't say anything for that matter. Not to Gary anyway.  
Then one of the cooks got mad when the Cat ran through "his kitchen" one too many times. He quit. So, Gary had to help cook all morning until the other cook got there. And he wasn't so happy either, by that time. Today had been _his_ day off.  
And then there was Luke; it wasn't that he'd _done _anything. It was quite the contrary. He _hadn't_ done anything. And that worried Gary. The boy had sat at the bar the entire morning. He said nothing to anyone unless he was asked a question. And even then, he was very brief. 

So, "yes". It was a very good thing that Gary had the morning off. But now the Paper seemed to be making up for that. The afternoon was filled with stories that needed Gary's attention; or _somebody's _attention. This was one of those days that Gary was wishing even harder that he had someone to help him with the Paper. With another sigh, he stood up from the bar where his lunch was at and slipped on his coat.

"Gary, where are you going?" Marissa asked him.

Gary glanced over at the twins who were slowly picking at the lunches. Then he said quietly; "Oh, I've got a lot of things to do. First of all; some kid's gonna ride his bike right in front of a speeding truck. Second; some old lady's gonna get robbed of everything she owns… right there in front of the police station! And, oh yeah; don't forget about Harold C. Smith. He's gonna be so busy with his nose in Shakespeare, he'll walk right into the lake. Then, we have about five different "alley-crimes"; a murder, a mugging, and so-forth. Marissa, some guys are coming over today to work upstairs in the kids' rooms. Just to let you know. Thanks." Gary sighed. "I've got to go." And with that, he left the building.

Marissa listened as his familiar foot-steps faded away and the heavy McGinty's door shut. She sent up a silent prayer. _This really isn't fair,_ Marissa thought, _Gary has more resting on his shoulder than anybody should ever have._

Suddenly, she heard the sound of bar stools scraping across the floor. Then footsteps. The twins were leaving McGinty's! "Hey, wait a minute, where are you two going?"

"To find Gary!" Luke announced and with that; the heavy front door could be heard closing again.

* * *

Luke stepped outside and he quickly looked around. He spotted Gary walking away and he and Lohan hurried to catch up. When they caught up to him, Gary looked in shock. 

"What are you two doing here?" He asked, still in surprise.

"There's nothing to do at McGinty's…" Luke started, looking down at his shoes, "I, I, can I come with you?" He asked quickly.

Gary was now even more shocked… and happy. They wanted to come with him? Well, that was a good sign. He glanced down at Lohan. She scowled and mumbled, "I only came because Luke was coming. I didn't want to be alone."

Gary just brushed the comment off. He considered his options. He could bring the kids along with him while he made his saves. But what if they slowed him down? Or what if something happened? Could he really take care of them _and_ the Paper? But then again, wasn't this a chance he should take advantage of? After all, Luke _wanted_ to come. So, he finally decided "yes".

"Alright, you two," He gave in, "Let's go."

So they set off together, more or less. At times the twins kind of drifted behind him and other times, they walked along side him. Gary's first save was the kid who got hit by a truck. He glanced at his watch. "12:48," He muttered. That meant he had no more than ten minutes to find the boy and stop him from being run over.

Within the next five minutes, Gary had spotted the boy. He looked to be about twelve or thirteen. He was riding down the sidewalk on what looked to be a new bicycle. And he looked happy; so happy, in fact, that he probably wouldn't even notice if a three-ton truck was coming at him, 15 miles over the speed limit. Just as the boy was about to run his bicycle into the street, Gary ran up behind him and grabbed his handle bars, stopping him.

"Hey, what did you do that for?" The boy asked, twisting around to look at him.

"Why did I– Well, just look right there!" Gary pointed at the truck that sped by, "That's why! If that thing would have hit you...!"

"Hey, save it, mister!" The boy announced, "'Cause I don't care!" And with those words, he sped away.

With a sigh, Gary turned around to find the twins just staring at him. "Wh-what?" Gary asked, though he had a good idea of why they were staring.

Lohan pointed towards where the boy had been, "You just saved that boy! He, he would have been run over if you hadn't... saved him."

"How did you do that?" Luke asked. He, too, was a bit surprised to say the least.

"Well, it was just a coincidence," Gary shrugged, "He just happened to be on the way to where I'm going. Now, come on. Let's go." He started walking again, the Paper going into his back pocket.

"But he didn't even say 'thank you'!" Lohan pointed out, hurrying to catch up.

Gary didn't respond, but was flipping through the newspaper. He knew where he had to go next, but he just wanted to do a double take. Yep, it was still there. Next stop; the police station.

"Where are we going now?" Asked Luke, stepping beside Gary.

"The police station." Gary mumbled.

"Huh? Why?" Came the replies.

"Well, I just gotta take care of some things is all. Nothing too serious." Gary shrugged.

About ten minutes later, they reached the police station. Gary had to smile just a little bit when he saw it. He had spent a lot of time here, since getting the Paper. And most of it wasn't really pleasant. It also made him think of Marion "Zeke" Crumb. He had been retired for a few years now and was living in Florida. They had been through a lot together, even if a lot of the time, they were getting on one another's nerves.

Suddenly Gary was brought back to reality. He saw an elderly woman getting out of what looked to be a twenty-year-old car and heading for the bank across the street; pocketbook in hand. But obviously he wasn't the only one who had seen the woman's meager bag of cash. A moment later, a rough looking, mid-twenties man came barreling around the corner. His eyes were set on the woman and Gary knew he had only seconds to react.

Jamming the Paper inside his coat, he ran towards the woman. She seemed oblivious to what was going to happen. Just as the thief snatched the bag from the woman, Gary barreled into him, knocking them both to the ground. The other man began to fight back and it was hard to see who was winning.

"Luke!" Gary gasped, trying to get a hold of the purse, "Go inside and get a police officer now!"

Without a word, the boy ran into the nearby police station and only a moment later returned with an officer at his heels. The yelled and pointed the gun towards the two men who were wrestling on the hard concrete.

"Stand up and get away from each other or I'll shoot. Hands in the air!" The cop shouted as the two men separated.

For the first time, Gary glanced at the cop and then he was shocked, "Brigatti!"

The cop glanced at the man for a moment and sighed agitatedly. "Hobson! What on earth are you doing here? Wait – you know what? I don't want to know. What I _do_ want to know is what the heck you're doin' rollin' around on the ground like a little boy!"

"Well, you see, Brigatti," Gary started, "It really wasn't my fault–"

"Uh huh," She interrupted, "That's what my son tells me all the time and ya know what? That's usually not the case."

Toni Brigatti Hagler had gotten married seven years earlier and now had two kids; a six-year-old boy, Tyler and a 3-year-old daughter, Marie. Gary had never told her about the Paper, and at this moment he was beginning to have second thoughts.

"Well, listen, see this lady here? This guy," Gary pointed towards the thief who was standing with his arms in the air; purse in hand, "He stole her purse. And I bet that if he had gotten away, she would have lost everything. Now, I didn't do anything, but try to help. You should at least thank me, instead pointing that gun at my head."

Brigatti sighed and glanced over at the frightened old woman, "Is this true?"

The woman nodded nervously, "Yes, officer. It's true. This man saved me and if he hadn't I would have lost most everything."

Brigatti sighed once more and walked over to the thief. She snapped some handcuffs on his wrists and nodded toward Gary. "You can go. But would you do me a favor and stay outta trouble for once in your life?" With that, she walked into the police station.

Gary sighed and glanced over at the old lady. He was surprised to see Lohan standing next to her, comforting her. They were talking and it was really, Gary noticed, the nicest he had ever seen the girl act. Gary glanced at his watch, noting that he had only 15 minutes until Carla Shaw would be mugged and killed in an alley. He knew 15 minutes wasn't long and the sooner he left, the better.

"I don't know how you knew, but I am so glad that you did," The woman said, when Gary walked over there, "How can I ever thank you, mister…?"

"Hobson, Gary Hobson," Gary smiled, "Here's your purse, ma'am. I hope you're alright."

"Oh, I am," She smiled, nodding, "Thanks to you and your niece here. She was very kind."

"My niece?" Gary asked.

"Yes," She nodded toward a blushing Lohan, "Lohan was very nice and I can't thank either of you enough."

"Well, you don't have to worry about that. We're just glad we could help. But, I'm afraid we really have to be going now, Mrs…."

"Sarah Newman," The woman smiled.

"Well, Mrs. Newman, it was good to meet you," Gary said, "But we really do have to go now."

They parted and once the three were out of earshot, Gary glanced down at Lohan. "My _niece_?" He asked, raising his eyebrows.

Lohan blushed and looked down at her shoes, "She's a nice old lady. But she seems kind of lonely. Can I visit her?"

"Mrs. Newman?" Gary asked.

Lohan nodded.

"Well, I guess that might be alright," Gary nodded his head, "We'll see."

Within the next two hours, Gary saved three lives and prevented other minor mishaps. He had just finished his last save for the day and now the three were walking towards home. All was silent until; "Gary, can I ask you a question?"

"Sure, what is it, Luke?" Gary asked.

"How did you know… you know… about all those things?" Luke asked, "About all those people? You saved people's lives today, Gary! At more than one occasion! How did you do that?"

Gary pulled nervously at his plaid, shirt collar. "Well, um, you see, it was just kind of a right place, right time kinda thing. You know, I just happened to be there."

"All those times?" Lohan looked up and asked. She looked doubtful.

Gary nodded.

She glanced at her brother, than back at Gary. "I don't think so." She wrinkled her nose, "It's too weird."

"Well, um – hey, listen!" Gary changed the subject while turning a corner. He pointed ahead, "See that building up there?"

The twins nodded.

"That's James Tyler High School," Gary stated, "That's where you'll start school tomorrow."

Immediately, frowns swept across the kids' faces. Gary did his best to ignore them, "Um, why don't we go check it out… okay?"

The kids sighed and followed Gary as he made his way towards the High School. Gary could see just by watching them that he was going to have a difficult morning.

* * *

Later that evening, around eight-thirty, Gary was downstairs talking to Marissa. He was tired, she was tired, and they were both resting at the bar as they talked. 

"Anyway, I had all those saves I told you about plus more," Gary was saying with a sigh, "And after that thief, Xavier Jackson, tried to steal Sarah Newman's purse, I run into Brigatti. She chews me out, goes inside, I turn around and Lohan is actually comforting Mrs. Newman! I mean, Marcia said in her letter that Lohan was a nice and well-behaved girl, but this is really the first time I think I had seen it… It kinda took me by surprise, I guess."

"Well, Gary, I suppose that was a good sign," Marissa shrugged, taking a sip of her drink, "It says that what Marcia described in Lohan in true."

"Yeah, well, for the most part," Gary mumbled, "Except when it comes to me. Um, you know, Lohan actually asked to visit Mrs. Newman sometime.'

"Really?"

Gary nodded, "Yeah, she said that she was a nice old lady and seemed lonely."

"You gonna let her go?" Marissa asked.

"Yeah, probably," Gary mussed, "But, of course, if Lohan does go, she's going to have to get it straight with Mrs. Newman that she's my daughter, not my niece."

"Your niece?" Marissa exclaimed with laughter in her voice, "Where did that come from?"

Gary just smiled, "They start school tomorrow at James Tyler. But, I'm kind of worried."

"Why? They've been to school before."

"Yeah, I know," Gary shrugged, "But this is the middle of the school year and this is a new school, new people, everything."

"They'll be fine, Gary," Marissa said softly, "It may be tough at first, but they'll be fine."

Gary sighed, "I sure hope you're right."

* * *

"I'm not going." 

Luke's eyes widened at his sister's statement. "I thought you were over all that, Lohan," He said, scratching his head, "You're not going to cause trouble tomorrow, are you?" It was later Sunday evening and the twins were upstairs in the loft while Gary was downstairs.

"If there's trouble, it's not my fault," Lohan shrugged carelessly, "I don't want to go and I shouldn't have to. If Gary tries to make me, then that's his problem, not mine."

"It's going to be your problem if you misbehave and Gary punishes you." Luke warned.

Lohan whirled around to face her brother and stomped her foot in anger. "Are you threatening me, Luke Marshall?

"Hobson," Luke corrected her, "And, no, that's not a threat. It's a warning. If you misbehave tomorrow and you get in trouble, don't come to me for support. It's not my problem and, besides; I warned you."

"You're on his side now, aren't you, Luke?" Lohan accused her brother angrily, "You like living here with Gary, don't you? You want to go to a new school! You don't even care that our mother is gone! You even just forget her name! You want to wipe her out of our lives like she never existed!"

"That's not true!" Luke shouted, again blinking back the tears of reality, "I do miss mom! I wish she were here right this very minute. And we've got to get used to a new last name. It's Hobson until we're at least old enough to change it. I don't like it, but I I'm sure we can live with it." He took a deep breath,"And, trust me; I do not want to go to a new school! You think I want to start school in the middle of the school year? Of course I don't! But I _do_ want our life to go as easily as possible. And the only way to do that is to get along with everyone; by doing what we're told and not causing a bunch of trouble every time Gary asks us to do something. So, if you cause trouble, Lohan, then that's your problem, not mine."

"I can't believe you!" Lohan exclaimed.

"And I can't believe you!" Luke shot back, "I have never seen you act the way you've acted towards Gary! I mean, a month ago you were the nicest girl I'd ever known. But now…" He let his voice trail off.

"Do you know what?" Lohan asked, indignantly, stamping her foot once more, "I am beginning to hate you, Garret Luke _Marshall_! I really do! And you know what else I think? I think that you're–!"

"Everything alright up here?"

The twins turned around to see Gary stepping into the room.

"Yes," The kids said in unison.

"We're fine," Lohan said coolly, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Well, um, that's good," Gary stammered, taking a seat on the couch, "Hey, uh, listen; um, school is tomorrow and I just wanted to let you know that, um, well, you need to be ready to leave by seven-thirty… okay?"

The twins nodded glumly.

"Okay, well, um, just so you understand." Gary shrugged.

"We understand, okay?" Lohan exclaimed, "Gosh! You don't have to keep talking about it!"

"Lohan!" Luke jabbed his sister in the side with his elbow. Then to Gary he said, "We understand, Gary. School tomorrow, we leave at seven-thirty. We got it."

"Alright," Gary sighed, standing up and rubbing his palms together, "Alright then. Good. That's, um, that's great. So… I guess you guys should be getting to bed pretty soon. Morning will be here before you know it."

The kids nodded.

"Okay then, I'll be downstairs for a bit yet. Do you guys need anything before you go to bed?" Gary asked.

They shook their heads.

"Alright. Well, good night then," Gary raised his eyebrows, "I expect to see you guys in your beds by the time I get back up here, alright?"

"Alright." They said together.

Once Gary left, Lohan sighed, "I am not going tomorrow, Luke." She stated firmly.

Luke let out an exasperated breath and pulled some pajamas from his dresser drawer, "Whatever, Lo, I don't really care anymore," He headed toward the bathroom, "You're on your own with this one. Just remember later; I told you so!"

As Luke walked into the bathroom and shut the door, Lohan stamped her foot on the ground and sat down hard on the couch. She put her head down in her hands and let out a sigh. As she sat there, she closed her eyes and thought about her mother. She thought about everything they had done together.

Oh, where had everything gone wrong? When Marcia had gotten sick, people were concerned, but they hadn't worried too much about it. But even as she got worse, Lohan refused to change her thoughts. "Mom will be fine", is what she had always told herself. She wouldn't die. That only happened in the movies. But even when Marcia herself told her and her brother that she was not going to make it, Lohan refused to believe it. It was, and just couldn't, be true. There was just no way. But it was.

Lohan slowly lifted her head and realized that she had been softly crying. She sniffled and wiped her eyes. She thought about Gary. Did she hate him? Really? It was so hard to sort out the feelings. She didn't like him; that was for sure. But did she _hate_ him? After all, it wasn't _his_ fault mama died, she told herself. But then again, she thought, where had he _been_ her whole life? Hiding away in his stupid bar all day long with a blind woman?

Lohan narrowed her eyes at the thought of Marissa. She had some suspicions about Gary and Marissa. And she didn't like it. Not one bit.

Suddenly, her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the shower turning off and Luke stepped out pf the bathroom. "Your turn," He announced, drying his dark, wet hair with a towel.

Lohan silently nodded, stood up, and headed for the bathroom. She had a lot to think about.

* * *

It was Monday morning. The sun was shining extra bright through the big loft windows. It was a perfect day. Well, at least that's what _Gary_ thought. Not only was it a beautiful day, but the Paper was beautiful too. He had only one save. After he dropped the kids off at school, he only had to make sure some man didn't drive his truck; because if he did, he would run into three people as a result of the brakes not working. Gary sighed happily. Yep, it was a beautiful day.

* * *

Luke moved around in his bed. It was Monday morning. He knew that. But he was tired and he didn't want to open his eyes. He slowly peeked out of one and quickly shut it. Oh! It was too bright! 

"C'mon, guys," He heard Gary say, "It's time to get up. You don't want to be late, do you?"

Luke sat up and bolted out of bed while Gary laughed at his actions. As much as he didn't _want_ to go to this new school, he didn't want to be late either. He began folding up his bedding as he tried to wake himself up.

As Luke began to fold up his bed, Lohan sat up. Once she realized what day it was, she laid back down.

"Come on now, Lohan," Gary announced, "It's time to get up for school."

She rolled over so that her back was facing him. Gary sighed and walked over to that side of the bed so that he was facing the girl. Just as he began to open his mouth, she rolled over again. With another frustrated sigh, Gary reached down and rolled the girl over to face him.

"Get up, Lohan," He said sternly.

"I'm not going and you can't make me." She stated stubbornly.

"I'm afraid I can make you, Lohan," Gary told her, "And you _will _go to school; even if I have to drag you there in your pajamas,"

She gasped then got out of bed. She picked out some clothes for the day and then she stomped all the way to the bathroom.

* * *

"Well, here we are," Gary announced, pulling the van to a stop and unbuckling his seatbelt, "Come on, you two, let's go." 

The kids followed Gary out of the van. They followed him up the sidewalk towards the school. Lohan pouted all the way, dragging her feet and mumbling under her breath. Luke didn't bother to try and keep up with Gary's fast paced steps. Instead, he walked at a normal pace, kept his head down, and said nothing.

They followed him inside the school and were suddenly aware of a door shutting behind them. They were in an office. Gary cleared his throat and they lifted their heads. A smiling woman in her mid-forties stood before them.

"Um, Mrs. Johnson," Gary shook the woman's hand, "My name is Gary Hobson. We spoke on the phone a few days ago…"

The woman nodded, "Yes, I remember. I'm pleased to meet you, Mr. Hobson."

"And these," Gary motioned toward the twins, "are my children; Luke and Lohan Hobson. They turned fourteen in June."

"Yes, I remember you telling me about them," She smiled at the kids, "I'm pleased to meet you too. My name is Gloria Johnson. I work here at the school. Today as you go to your classes, I'll be going with you. I'll sit in the back in a corner or something; you know; just until you get used to things around here."

Lohan wrinkled her nose, "We don't need a babysitter." Luke nodded with agreement.

Mrs. Johnson smiled, "Of course you don't. But for today, if you need anything, I'll be right there. You just tell me. That's my job. The kids who have been through tough times or who've experienced trauma or life-changing difficulties; I'm here for them. Or if they're having trouble in school, if something's going on in their lives that keep them from their school, I try my best to help them out."

Doubtfully, Luke glanced up at Gary, "We don't need a shrink or a social worker either," He said, "We're just fine. We don't need anything from anybody."

"Well, maybe you do, maybe you don't," Gary told them, "But just the same, this is going to be the arrangement for the day, alright? I want you to listen to what Mrs. Johnson tells you. You understand?"

Like usual, the kids nodded.

"Okay, good," Gary nodded with a half smile, "In that case, I'd better go. I have an important errand I need to take care of. I'll pick you up here in Mrs. Johnson's office after school let's out."

After Gary left, Mrs. Johnson led them outside her office into the school hall. The hall was bustling with teenage students and adult teachers.

"Really, Mrs. Johnson," Lohan tried to explain, "You don't have to follow us all day and baby-sit us."

"Please, call me 'Gloria'," The woman smiled, "And I know you don't want me to hang around you two all day, but I discussed this with your father. He, like you, wasn't even sure if this would be best."

"He's not my father." Lohan scowled. But inside, she had this strange feeling. Gary hadn't known whether or not to hook them up with this "baby-sitter"? She began to think maybe he wasn't so bad after all, but quickly pushed the thought away. She _would_ be angry with him.

"But I have seen a lot of kids," Gloria Johnson continued, "And most of them do very well with a bit of supervision the first few days. So your father agreed to give this a try"

"Maybe we're the exception." Luke pointed out.

Gloria just smiled.

A moment later, Gloria stopped beside a row of lockers. "These will be your lockers," She pointed, "We have managed to give you lockers beside each other and the same classes for the rest of this semester."

Suddenly a girl ran up to the locker beside Luke's. She had thick blonde hair that hung just beneath her shoulders. Freckles danced beneath her blue eyes and her smile showed a small gap between her two front teeth.

In a hurry, she dropped her backpack on the ground beside her, spilling out books and papers; many which were of the acting/drama subject. She ignored the books and began to open her locker. The door wouldn't budge and she pulled and yanked on it until it did. Then she began to stuff her books inside.

"Hey, Gloria," The girl smiled, "What's up?" She crammed some report papers into the overflowing locker, "Hey, did you hear? My sister got the part!"

Gloria smiled, "That's great, Brianna! I'm sure you're all excited."

Brianna grinned, "Yup; excited, but not surprised. We knew she could do it!" She frowned, "But why can't I?"

Gloria smiled encouragingly, "Don't worry, kiddo, you'll make your break soon. Hey, you've already made your break in Chicago!"

The girl wrinkled her freckled nose, "Yeah, maybe your right."

"Lohan, Luke," Gloria announced, "This is Brianna Bailey. She's our school's number one actress! She's the younger sister of Amanda Bailey. You might have heard of her."

Lohan's mouth dropped open. "_Your_ sister is Amanda Bailey?"

Brianna nodded.

"_The_ Amanda Bailey? The Amanda Bailey who just starred in _Time is Enough_?" Lohan asked. Amanda Bailey was an idol among most teenage boys and girls. At twenty years old, she was living in Los Angeles, California. But, she had grown up in Chicago. When she started acting at age seven the crowd loved her… and they still did.

Brianna smiled, "Yeah, that's her. I'm doing my best to catch up with her, but I can't seem to get out of local theatre productions and commercials." She looked thoughtful, "But then again, I only started three years ago when I was eleven."

Gloria smiled and told them where their first class would be, "I'll catch up with you two when it's over." She told the twins.

"You're not going to baby-sit us?" Luke asked. He looked surprised and hopeful.

Gloria smiled again, "I think you can get along on your own for a little while." And she left them alone.

"So… what'd you say your names were?" Brianna squeezed her eyes for a moment, "Sorry, I'm kinda bad about names."

"Luke and Lohan, um, Hobson," Luke stammered. Gosh, did he hate using a different name!

A sense of familiarity came over the blonde girl's face, "Hobson? Hmmm… that sounds familiar. Oh well," She shrugged, "You know what I said about me and names. We don't get along," She grinned, "It'll come to me sooner or later."

A boy walked past and snorted, "Probably later. I don't know who you new dweebs are, but you better watch out; Bailey here can't remember anything."

"Can too." Brianna defended herself.

The kid snorted again and walked off, "Whatever." He could be heard saying.

"Don't worry about him," Brianna shook her head, "That's just Bill Stone. He doesn't like anyone. But he had a point; you guys _are_ new, aren't you?"

Luke nodded while Lohan just looked away.

"I thought so," Brianna shrugged, "But don't worry about that. I'll introduce you to people."

Suddenly, a bell rang. School was about to begin.


	4. Actresses, Spelling, & Basketball Games

**_A Simple Twist of Fate  
_****4. Actresses, Spelling, and Basketball Games**

* * *

Hobson, Hobson, Hobson. Luke Hobson. Luke wrinkled his nose. Luke Marshall sounded better. Well, it wasn't like John Johnson or anything, but he still thought Luke Hobson didn't sound quite right… or look right for that matter. He stared at the Vocabulary Words paper with his name on the top. He had asked Gary if he could use "Marshal" in school and Gary had said he'd let him, but they use legal names in school. And with his legal name being Hobson, that's what he was forced to sign all his school papers with.

He looked up from his desk and noticed Lohan sitting at her desk staring idly into space. This was their third class of the day. And the worst one yet; well, to Luke anyway. He had always hated spelling and that was what he was being forced to do in this class. He sighed. Could his day get any worse? _Probably so_, a little voice inside him said. That just made him kind of mad. Why? He came to the conclusion that he _wanted_ to sulk. He was getting tired of trying to be the optimist. Suddenly a voice interrupted his brooding thoughts.

"Mr. Hobson? Luke Hobson, please pay attention."

Blushing, Luke quickly looked up. "I, I'm sorry, sir. I, I, wasn't p-paying attention." He stammered nervously.

Mr. Owens, the teacher, looked amused. "No? Really, well, I hadn't noticed."

The other children in the room snickered at the man's mockery, which only made Luke blush more. The voice had been right; his day _could_ be worse. Luke twisted around in his seat and noticed Gloria Johnson sitting in the back corner. She wasn't laughing. She just gave him an encouraging smile and nodded her head towards the teacher. That made him feel a little bit better. He glanced at his sister. She wasn't laughing either. And neither was Brianna Bailey. As a matter of fact, Brianna was glaring at the teacher.

"Mr. Hobson, will you please stand up?" Mr. Owens instructed.

Luke nervously looked around the room and stood up. Oh, how he hated being the center of attention. He remembered a time in 2nd grade when he was in the school play and he had to sing three lines. He had nearly died from nervousness. Why did _he_ have to be singled out?

"Mr. Hobson," Mr. Owens said, "Will you please spell the word 'chrysanthemum'?"

Luke gulped, "C-chrysanthemum?"

Mr. Owens nodded, "That's what I said."

"Uh," He began to spell slowly, "C–R–I–S–A–N–T–H–E–M–U–M. Chrysanthemum."

Mr. Owens shook his head, "I'm sorry. That's incorrect. I suggest you work on your spelling, Mr. Hobson." Luke felt his face turn red as he quickly sat back down in his seat.

"Who can spell 'chrysanthemum'?" Mr. Owens asked.

"_I_ can." A tall, brunette girl announced, standing up. She threw Luke a dirty look, "chrysanthemum; C–H–R–Y–S–A–N–T–H–E–M–U–M. Chrysanthemum." She smiled smugly as Mr. Owens praised her.

Luke sighed and let his head fall into his hands. He closed his eyes. This was going to be one _long_ day.

* * *

"So, how are you two getting along?" Brianna Bailey plopped down across from the twins at their lunch table.

Luke didn't say anything, but Lohan spoke up; "We're doing alright. I don't enjoy the History class so much, but I can live with that."

"Who's the tall, brunette girl – a speller? About so tall?" Luke asked.

Brianna sighed, "Rhonda Gibson. She thinks she knows everything," Brianna leaned closer, "And sometimes… I think she actually does."

A group of kids walked over to the table and sat down.

""Hey, um, Lohan, Luke," Brianna announced, "This is Shane Ridley and Kyleita Williams." The girls smiled and waved, "And this," Brianna pointed to the boys who had sat down, "This is Matt Heller, Paul Davis, and Jordan Helms." The boys nodded their heads in a 'hello'. "Guys," Brianna continued, "This is Luke and Lohan Hobson. They're kinda new."

The kids smiled. "We're glad you're here," Shane smiled warmly.

"Yeah," Paul agreed, "But you gotta watch out for some of the older high-schoolers. They like to push people around."

Matt Heller cleared his throat.

"Oh, sorry," Paul apologized, "Matt is 15. But when I said older high-schoolers, I meant, like, a lot older. You know; 16, 17."

The twins nodded in understanding. Maybe school at James Tyler High School wouldn't be so bad after all.

* * *

Gary walked quickly into the school. A lot of people, kids and adults, were in the school hallways. School was over for the day and Gary had to pick up the kids at Mrs. Gloria Johnson's office. He was wondering how school had gone. He hoped the kids had behaved.

He reached the office and knocked on the door. "Come in." A voice said. Gary pushed open the door. When he walked into the room, he saw Mrs. Johnson sitting at her desk, a smile on her face. Luke and Lohan were sitting in two chairs along the wall. They weren't smiling.

"So… how'd it go?" Gary asked, hopefully. He had pretty much been on pins and needles all day long.

"The children did fine, Mr. Hobson," Gloria smiled at the kids, "We've managed to get them all the same classes for the rest of the school year. We think it would probably be easier for them that way."

Gary sighed with relief. _That_ was good news. "Alright, um, thank you very much, Mrs. Johnson. I, I really appreciate what your doing."

"Oh, that's not a problem, Mr. Hobson," Gloria said kindly, "I'm just glad to help. You have some fine children."

With that remark, Gary could just feel the icy glare he knew Lohan was sending from behind him. He tried to ignore it. "Well, thank you, Mrs. Johnson," He replied, "I appreciate that. Now, um, if you don't have anything else you'd like to discuss, I think we should be getting home."

"Of course," She nodded. The kids stood up from their chairs, "I will see you tomorrow, kids."

Once Gary and the kids were in the van, Gary tried to start up a conversation. "So…., how'd you like high-school?" He asked, turning the key and starting up the vehicle.

No one said anything at first. Then Lohan spoke up; "I hated it."

"It made me feel like I was in Kindergarten again for the first time," Luke mumbled, "All the kids are older and bigger than you."

Gary smiled sympathetically, "Yeah, well, I guess that's to be expected. But did you ever consider the fact that in just a few years, _you'll_ be the 'older and bigger' one? Hmm? Because, you know, it'll happen."

Luke gave a half smile, and then frowned again, "Yeah, well, it doesn't change the fact right now. Right now, I _am_ the younger one."

Gary just smiled. He was glad _someone_ was talking. He glanced back at Lohan through the rearview mirror. He caught her eye and she quickly looked away out the window.

"Hey, uh, listen," Gary said, turning a corner, "There's gonna be a basketball game at the school on Friday night. I was thinking that, if you wanted to, we could maybe go to the game and then go out for something to eat afterwards. What do you think?"

"That sounds great!" Luke exclaimed, nearly jumping out of his seat. For the moment, he was forgetting to sulk. Basketball was his favorite sport. "I mean, I love basketball!"

Gary smiled then glanced back at Lohan. She just sat there, slouching in her seat with her arms crossed over her thin body. "What do you think, Lohan?" Gary asked kindly.

The girl's eyes narrowed, "I don't want to go anywhere with _you_." She retorted.

Gary didn't say anything. It hurt for Lohan to hate him so much. But he knew she had good reason. Or at least she _thought_ she did. After all, she didn't understand what had happened between Gary and Marcia. And until she did, she would probably continue to treat Gary badly. She thought that Gary had abandoned her. Just the thought of that tore Gary's heart apart. He knew that if he had known about the twins, he would have made every intention possible to know them and spend time with them. But he hadn't known. God, he wished he had! But he hadn't. And he was going to have to live with that. That, too, tore him apart.

And that was one of the reasons he wanted to go out on Friday. He had had a lot of time away from the Paper that day, so he spent a lot of time talking with Marissa. They had decided that the longer he waited to tell them the truth, and then the outcome could very easily be worse. So together they had worked up an arrangement. They would go to a basketball game, go out to eat, and basically spend some quality time together as a "family". Then afterwards, they would go home, settle down, and then Gary would break it to them. He would tell them the truth. And hopefully, if all went well, they would be, of course, shocked. And there may be some disbelief and some harsh words, but in the end it would all work out. Hopefully.

* * *

"Hey, how'd it go?" Patrick Quinn asked enthusiastically when the trio walked into McGinty's. He was busy wiping down the bar with a rag.

Lohan just rolled her eyes and walked past the man to the loft. Luke just sighed loudly and followed his sister. Patrick looked a bit hurt. "It wasn't so hot, was it?" He asked as Gary walked over to the bar.

Gary shrugged, "I don't really know. I mean, the lady working with them said they did fine, but now, after the way they're acting, I don't know…"

"Gary, you're doing the best you can," Marissa affirmed, walking over to the two, "And that's the most you can expect out of yourself. I mean; its high school. It's their first day at a new school. It probably didn't exactly go great."

"Yeah, I suppose you're right." Gary mumbled quietly.

"Did you ask them about Friday?" Marissa asked.

"Mmm-hmm," Gary nodded.

"And?"

"And I don't know. Luke sounded thrilled and Lohan, well, she doesn't want to go anywhere with me. Marissa, I gotta tell them. I can't stand having that girl hate me so much!" Gary exclaimed, exasperated.

"Gary," Marissa reminded him gently, "'That girl' is your daughter. You've got to remember that. And you will tell them. On Friday. Don't worry," She laid her land on top of Gary's, "Things will work out."

* * *

Luke paced back and forth in the loft later that Monday afternoon. "Chrysanthemum," He mussed, "Chrysanthemum; C–**_H_**–R–**_Y_**–S–A–N–T–H–E–M–U–M; Chrysanthemum."

Lohan actually giggled from her place at the table. She was working on her homework and watching her brother pace back and forth spelling out the name of a flower, she found amusing.

Luke glared at his sister. "It's not funny. That teacher, w-what's his name..?"

"Mr. Owens," Lohan reminded him.

"Right; Mr. Owens," Luke corrected himself, "Mr. Owens made a fool out of me this morning! I, I, you know I don't like spelling. I'm not good at it! And why, _why _do people have to single me out, tell me to stand up a-and say something in front of a whole bunch of people? And spelling of all things! I'm not good at spelling! I–"

"Luke," Lohan interrupted her brother, "You're rambling."

Luke blushed, "Sorry," he mumbled. Sitting down at the table, he began to study his spelling words for the test on Friday.

"Luke," Lohan sighed, twirling her yellow pencil around on her fingers, "Do you really want to go to that game on Friday?"

Luke shrugged, "Sure why not? You know I like basketball."

"Do you want to go with Gary?" She prodded.

The boy looked thoughtful, "I don't know. I can't see it would hurt," He raised up one of his hands, "Ah—don't say anything! Let me guess; you don't want to go. Right?"

Lohan nodded solemnly.

"I thought so." Luke shrugged then went back to his spelling words.

Lohan sat dumbfounded for a moment. "Well?" She finally asked.

"'Well' what?" Luke raised his eyes to glance at his sister for a moment.

"Well, aren't you going to dive into your little speech about how I'd better behave and to not come looking to you for support if I don't? Aren't you going to tell me all that?"

"Why should I?" Luke raised his dark eyebrows, "You just did."

Lohan pursed her lips. She hated it when he did that! She had no idea where he got it from either. Luke could be very witty and sarcastic sometimes; to people he knew, anyway. He clammed up in front of strangers though. Where he got it from, she never knew. Her mother, Marcia, had often commented on Luke's "sharp and witty" personality. It was decided that Luke's traits must be unique because they knew no one else in the family like that.

"What'cha thinking about?" Luke interrupted her thoughts, while trading his spelling for his arithmetic.

Lohan just shook her head, "Nothing. I was just thinking… I was thinking about Mom… and grandma and grandpa. Luke, do you t-think that grandma and grandpa will… you know, will they come and see us anymore?"

"Why wouldn't they?" Luke exclaimed, his mud-green eyes wide.

"Well, I, I don't know," Lohan shrugged, tracing an invisible pattern on the table, "I guess, well, you know, they'd have to drive all the way from Springfield… and, well – suppose they don't like Gary. They won't come see us if they don't like him and then –"

"Lohan, stop," Luke exclaimed, "Now _you're _the one babbling. I'm sure they'll come and see us; whether they like Gary or not, besides; they'd be coming to see _us_, not Gary. Don't worry," he added softly, "It'll be alright."

Lohan just have a small, hopeful smile.

* * *

"So… you wanna talk about it?" Marissa asked, later that evening. Gary, Marissa, and the twins were gathered at the bar, each with a bowl of ice cream.

"About what?" Gary asked, confused. He held his chocolate chip ice cream in mid-air.

"Not you, Gary," Marissa shook her head with a smile, "The kids. So, how was school? Did you make any friends?"

Luke shrugged, while stirring his ice cream, "There were a few nice kids there."

Lohan's eyes widened as she remembered the kids, "And get this; we met a girl named Brianna Bailey. She's really nice and introduced us to some kids! She's in the school acting club, but that's not all!"

Marissa looked pleased with Lohan's sudden enthusiasm and Gary looked surprised. She was actually talking on her own free will. That was a nice change.

"Brianna is_ Amanda_ Bailey's younger sister!" Lohan said excitedly, "Can you believe that?"

Gary nearly choked on the large spoonful of ice cream in his mouth. His eyes widened. He had made a lot of saves in the past fourteen years, but Amanda Bailey was not forgotten. She, at six-years-old, had nearly been a victim of hospital neglect and by saving her alone; Gary had saved over 100 people from dying in a plane crash. "Amanda Bailey?" He asked, shocked, "_The_ Amanda Bailey?"

"Yeah," Lohan nodded excitedly, "Who else? You know, Amanda Bailey; the movie star? She starred in _Time is Enough_ this past year."

"You know who we're talking about, don't you?" Luke asked, while watching Gary's confused face.

"No, I don't know—_Time is Enough_?" He turned to an amused Marissa, "Marissa, are we talking about the same Amanda Bailey?"

Marissa smiled, "Mmm-hmmm…. Um, Gary, maybe you and I could discuss this later, alright?"

"Uh, o-okay. Yeah. Sure. So….." Gary changed the subject, "Did you finish your homework?"

* * *

"Marissa, I don't get it," Gary said, exasperated, "Would you please explain this to me?"

It was the next afternoon. Luke and Lohan were at school and Gary was pacing back and forth in the office.

"Gary, I can't believe you!" Marissa chuckled, "You carry around a newspaper all day long. Don't you ever turn to the entertainment section?"

"What? Why?"

"Because," Marissa went on, "If you had, you would have realized a long time ago that Amanda Bailey—_your_ Amanda Bailey—broke into the movie business just a year after you saved her." Gary looked amazed as the blind woman continued, "It was because of _you_, Gary that she is here today."

"A-Amanda Bailey is a, is a movie star?" Gary asked in disbelief, running his fingers through his hair.

Marissa smiled, "People love her; kids, adults, doesn't matter how old they are. She makes people happy," Marissa added softly, "Gary, if you hadn't saved her…"

"I don't believe this!" Gary exclaimed. He turned the Paper to the entertainment section, as Marissa began using her computer. Sure enough; there was an article in the Paper about Amanda Bailey's latest movie she was working on; _Full Moon Rising_.

"Wow!" Gary said quietly.

"Mmm-hmm," Marissa nodded, "Gary, come here."

Gary walked over to where Marissa was sitting at the computer. He glanced at the screen and his mouth dropped open. There on the screen was a picture of an older-looking Amanda Bailey. Her hair was not as dark anymore and she wasn't a little girl anymore. Actually, she was about twenty-years-old. At the top of the page it said in curly red letters; **_The Official Site of Amanda L. Bailey_**. Gary couldn't believe it.

"She started acting when she was seven," Marissa explained, "It was almost like magic, people fell in love with her! But it's been a long time since she was that 'cute little girl'. She's grown up now. People still like her—especially the teens—but the adults tend to favor her younger movies. Gary, I can't believe you didn't know about this!"

Gary shook his head. He couldn't believe it either.

* * *

Brianna Bailey slammed her soda bottle into a nearby garbage can.

"What? What's the matter?" Luke asked.

It was Tuesday afternoon, in between classes. Kids and teachers were standing in the hallways, talking and preparing for their next classes.

"Your last name; 'Hobson'!" Brianna exclaimed, "It's familiar! I've heard it tons of times before, but I can't for the life of me remember _where_ I heard it!"

Lohan just smiled. "Don't worry; it'll come to you eventually."

Brianna frowned thoughtfully, "Yeah, I suppose you're right. Next time I talk to my sister, I'll ask her about it."

Lohan nodded. It didn't really matter to _her_ whether or not Brianna remembered about the name 'Hobson'. She refused to claim that name and she didn't like to think about it either. Instead; she changed the subject.

"C'mon, let's get to class."

* * *

"Luke. Luke Hobson, will you please pay attention?"

Luke jerked his head up. He had been daydreaming again. He knew it. But he couldn't help it. He was usually good in school—except for spelling—but lately, he couldn't seem to concentrate. He knew if he didn't start paying attention, he would hate to see his report card. It would be a lot different from his usual A's, he was sure.

"Luke, I asked you to tell me; what year did Gutenberg die?" The teacher, Mrs. Bryant, repeated.

"Gutenberg died in 1468, ma'am," Luke answered positively. He knew it was 1468. He enjoyed History and proved well at it.

Mrs. Bryant smiled, "That's correct, Luke. Gutenberg died in 1468. Now class, this man was…"

Luke, again, let his thoughts drown out the sound of his teacher's lively voice. He had been thinking a lot that day about his home in Springfield. He had friends there; one in particular was Tom Beachy. They had known one another since they were five-years-old. When the boys had said good bye to those few weeks ago, they had both done their best to act brave and act like it was no big deal. And Luke was still trying to do just that. Like the death of his mother, he still held the tears back. If he let himself cry, it would mean admitting defeat. It would mean admitting that things had changed; that his mother was not coming back. And he wasn't ready to admit that.

"Not now, not ever." Luke told himself firmly. He would never admit it.

* * *

"Luke, are you alright?" Gloria Johnson stopped Luke in the hall later that day. She still sat through a few of their classes with them.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, hon, you just seem kind of distracted," The woman explained, her southern accent showing, "Are you alright? You need to talk to anyone?"

Luke shook his head, "No, ma'am. I, I'm alright. I, I've just got a lot on my mind. But, I'll be fine."

"Well, alright," Gloria relented, "But just remember; if you need anyone to talk to, just let me know, okay? That's what I'm here for."

Luke gave a half smile. "Alright. Thank you, Gloria."

"No problem." And she continued down the hall.

* * *

Days went by and along with them came the normal routine. Gloria stopped sitting in classes with the kids. Lohan continued to do her best to avoid Gary and most other people, while Luke continued to find himself not paying attention and he wasn't the only one who noticed it. Mr. Owens, in particular, seemed to dislike the boy. Multiple times, he would catch Luke not paying attention or failing to complete an assignment the right way.

Friday came along and with it; a spelling test. Lohan was fine with it. She had always been good at spelling, English, and grammar. But when it came to those things with Luke, he absolutely despised them. And today was no different.

"Alright, alright, now, class, I want you to all line up here against the wall," Mr. Owens instructed in his straightforward way, "We are going to have a class Spelling Bee today. No paper, no pencils. That will come next week. I'm sure you have all been in a Spelling Bee before, correct?" Heads began to nod up and down, "Alright good. In that case, we will start with our school's spelling champ; Rhonda Gibson. And then we will work our way down the line from their. If you miss a word, you are to take a seat at your desk and remain there quietly unless called upon. Do you understand?"

Again, heads nodded in comprehension.

"Fine," Mr. Owens began, "Rhonda, will you spell the word '_endothermic_'."

Luke listened as Rhonda spelled each letter out. She knew what she was doing and she was very good at it. And it wasn't just spelling she was good at. Luke had three other classes with Rhonda and she exceeded in each one.

Before long, it was Lohan's turn. She spelled her word easily and smiled happily when she finished. She knew it was correct. Brianna's turn came also and she spelled her word, too, though not as fast as Lohan had. With a few more people in between, Luke's turn finally came. He was given the word '_chrysanthemum_' and spelled it with ease. He had been repeating it all week long; to himself _and_ out loud. He knew it by now.

So the spelling continued. As each word came, more and more people were dropped from the test and were sent to their seats. Once it came to Luke's third turn, he was given the word; '_phenomenon_'.

Luke swallowed nervously. "P-phenomenon," He stammered, shifting his feet, "P-H-A-N-O-M-A-N-O-N. Phenomenon."

"That is incorrect, Mr. Hobson," Mr. Owens announced in his curt manner, "Please take your seat with the others. Oh, and young man, I would like to see you after class, if I may."

Luke nodded shamefully and quickly returned to his seat. How humiliating! The rest of the Spelling Bee passed by in a blur and in the end, Rhonda Gibson was declared the winner and champion once again.

"As you can all see," Mr. Owens said with a proud smile. He was standing next to Rhonda in the front of the class room, "Rhonda is our school's Number One Speller – even among the older students. We have a few minutes; would anybody like to challenge Rhonda with a spelling word?"

Brianna immediately raised her hand, "I would." She stated with a grin.

"Yes, go ahead then." Mr. Owens nodded in approval.

"Well, you see, Constantinople is a very large word," She stated, "But can you spell it?"

Rhonda sighed in what sounded like boredom, "Constantinople. C-O-N-S-T-A-N-T-I-N-O-P-L-E. Con-stan-tinople." She finished by stressing out the word.

"I'm sorry," Brianna said smugly, "But that's wrong."

A murmur went through the room. Mr. Owens looked perplexed while Rhonda just looked horrified. "What? No it's not!" The girl exclaimed.

Brianna nodded, "Oh, yes it is. I asked you to spell '_it_', not Constantinople. '_It_' is a pretty simple word. You see, it's just I-T." She grinned.

Rhonda's mouth dropped open in shock, "What? You can't do that!"

"She just did!" A boy in the back shouted, which resulted in an uproar of laughter throughout the room.

When Mr. Owens finally succeeded in getting the class to calm down, he handed out weekend assignments and then dismissed the class. Once all the students had left the room, Luke got up from his desk and walked up to his teacher's.

"Y-You wanted to see me, Mr. Owens?" He asked nervously.

"Yes," The man pulled his wore-rimmed glasses off of his nose, "You seem to have some trouble staying focused, Mr. Hobson. Is there a problem or do you not spend enough time with your vocabulary words? Is that it?"

"I, I'm not sure, sir," Luke stammered in reply, "I, I do my homework and I _do_ study. I, I just can't seem to... to remember. I never have been very good at spelling."

The man sighed, "Not good enough."

"What?"

"That is not a good enough excuse, young man," The teacher put his glasses back on and began to sort through some papers on his desk, "I am going to give you an extra weekend assignment. I expect you to have it complete by class on Monday." He handed Luke a piece of paper with the word '_pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis_' printed on it, "I expect you to be able to spell this word for me by Monday. Do you understand?"

Luke felt faint at the sight of the long and complicated word he must learn, but nodded anyway, "Y-Yes sir. I understand, but if you don't mind me asking, why such a long word?"

"_Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis_ is the longest word in the English Dictionary," Mr. Owens explained, indicating a large book on his desk, "If you can learn to spell this word, then I am sure that you can spell other words too… such as _phenomenon_."

Luke sighed, "Yes, sir."

"Very well then; you are dismissed, Mr. Hobson." The teacher ended the conversation by standing up from his desk and began rummaging on a bookshelf.

Luke took the hint and left the room. He winced at the sight of the long word on the piece of paper he had been given and hurriedly crammed it into his jeans pocket. How would he ever spell that word?

* * *

"You two ready?" Gary poked his head into the loft later that Friday evening.

The kids nodded and stood up from their place at the table. Gary and the kids were going to the school basketball game. Then they would go out for some ice cream or something later. Luke was going for the basketball. Lohan didn't want to go at all. But she was going anyway. Her brother had begged her to shape up… for at least one evening. She had agreed, though now she wondered what on earth for?

They had decided to walk to the school, so they started down the sidewalk. It wasn't a long walk, perhaps 10 – 15 minutes.

"Do you guys want to start walking to school… on your own now?" Gary asked. He was pretty sure they would prefer to go alone… without Gary driving them. And Gary knew it would prove more convenient. The Paper had been slow in the mornings, so he had been able to take them to school. But he knew it couldn't last forever.

Luke shrugged and Lohan nodded.

"Alright. In that case, you two can walk to school on Monday morning."

Again, the kids nodded. Gary noticed this. They had gotten a little better about answering and talking, but occasionally a simple nod or shake of the head came instead.

As they passed by a construction site, Gary's mind wandered to upstairs above McGinty's. He had had carpenters, electricians, and most everybody else up there for over a week and the kids' bedrooms were almost finished. It wouldn't be long now before they could move into them.

Gary's thoughts were interrupted as they approached the high school. A lot of people were already there. So they entered the gym found a seat and watched as the game began.

* * *

"Pretty good game, huh?" Gary asked later that night. They were walking home, each with an ice cream cone in hand.

The kids nodded, but Luke was wearing a smile.

"Hey, um, the bedrooms are almost finished." Gary changed the subject, "Maybe sometime next week we could go and pick out some stuff for it. What do you think? I mean, I can't decorate your room for you. You are definitely going to have to participate in this, alright?"

They nodded again, only this time, Lohan wore the smile.

As they walked, everyone was silent. But inside, Gary was a nervous wreck. Once they got home, he was going to talk to the kids. He was going to tell them everything – well, most everything, that is. He wasn't going to tell them about the Paper; not yet. Instead, he was going to talk to them about Marcia; about _why_ he had only met the kids last week. He wasn't quite sure how they would take it, but even if they didn't believe him, he'd at least have the letter Marcia wrote herself.

Gary looked ahead. Only two more blocks until home. Only two more blocks before the next few years may be changed in only a few words.


	5. Turning Tables

**_A Simple Twist of Fate  
_****5. Turning Tables**

* * *

When they got back to the loft above McGinty's and once everyone was settled down, Gary took a seat across from the twins. He had a cardboard box on the floor beside him and the twins looked on in curiosity.

Gary cleared his throat, "It's been a week now since you've moved in. And I, well, I was thinking that it's about time that we cleared a few things up. When I say we need to clear a few things up, I don't mean that you've done anything wrong… I don't mean that. But there are some walls standing in between us," With those words, he glanced over at Lohan, "There have been misunderstandings and hurt feelings, I'm sure. And that's what I want to fix."

"So you're going to tell us why you left us?" Lohan asked.

"And why you never visited us?" Luke joined in.

"Yes—I mean; no, no! But, listen, because, you see, that's the point I'm trying to make. I want you to understand, alright?"

The twins nodded and when Gary saw that he had their attention, he began.

"Your mother and I, well, we met in here in Chicago. A buddy of mine hooked us up and well, I guess something clicked. We were married eight months later. Well, Marcia, your mom wanted to be a lawyer. We needed some money for Law School, so I went to Strauss & Associates became a stock broker. With the money we made, Marcia was able to go to school. That's what she wanted." Gary closed his eyes for a moment as he remembered, "Well, what I wanted was to start a family. I wanted kids… I always did. I told Marcia that, but she said she wasn't ready; said she wanted to finish school. So I said 'alright'. And we waited… just like she wanted.

"Well," Gary continued as he noticed that the kids were actually listening to him, "We were happy… I thought so, at least. But then one day, on our wedding anniversary, actually, I took the el home. I'd bought her some nice roses and things; we were going to celebrate that night," He added wistfully. For a moment, he said nothing; he just thought.

"Well?" Luke asked, interrupting Gary's silent thoughts.

"Well what?" Gary asked.

"Well, what happened?" Lohan exclaimed impatiently.

"Oh—right. Well, I got off the el and I started for home," Gary continued, "We lived in a nice brick house at the time... real nice… so, anyway, I get home, I stick my key in the front door, and the door doesn't unlock. I tried again and it was useless. I had the right key; I knew it. So I hollered out for Marcia to unlock the door. A moment later, I see your mom stick her head out through an upstairs window." Gary looked at the kids sitting on the couch in front of him. He knew the next bit of this story was going to be the hardest; for all three of them, "Sh-she didn't open the door for me. She didn't even try," A look of confusion came over the kids' faces, "Well, anyway, the next thing I know, your mom is telling me; 'heads up' and my suitcase is flying out the window. So… being locked out of the house, I got a room at the Blackstone and not long after that I was charged for a divorce."

By now, both kids' mouths had dropped open and Lohan jumped up from her seat in anger, "I don't believe you! You're lying!"

Gary tried to speak, but was interrupted when Luke stood up beside his sister. "You know, I, I've tried to give you a chance. Even after everything that's happened! Even when Lohan was trying to shut you out, _I_ tried to at least listen, but now… now I don't know what to think!"

"Listen, I, I know this comes as sort of a shock," Gary tried. He, too, stood up from his seat, "B-but I'm not done with the story. Now," He looked at them sincerely, his eyes pleading, "If you'll just give me a chance, if, if you'll just sit down and let me finish. Please."

The kids sighed and sat down. They both looked very unhappy.

"Your mom, well, we saw each other a few times after the divorce. Not much though," He added quietly, "Actually; I haven't seen her in a long, long time… years really. I didn't ever hear from her either. So… anyway, both our lives went on… and I'm sure they were very different from the others."

"So… what's your point?" Lohan asked. She looked very upset and annoyed.

"Well, we'll skip over about fourteen years until last Tuesday," Gary continued, ignoring Lohan's remark, "I… I was going through the mail when I found this letter," Gary pulled out the letter in the envelope from the CCA, "It… it told me about what had happened to Marcia. It… it told me about the two of you."

The twins' expression changed from anger to confusion, but they didn't say anything.

"Y-you see… I, I didn't know about you… at all," Gary continued slowly, "Marcia… Marcia was pregnant when we… when we divorced. She… never told me."

"I don't believe you," Lohan retorted, stamping her foot.

"Well, well, just listen because I'm still not done," Gary replied. "Anyway, then the next day, Wednesday, I got another letter. It was from Marcia's sister… your Aunt Susan. Inside was a letter from your mom. I guess she had written it before… Anyway, in the letter, your mom, she told me everything. You can read it if you like – I, I have it right here," He pulled the letter from the box and handed it to Lohan. Gary continued as the twins read the letter together, "I, I know it's a lot to wrap your mind around—trust me, I know—but it's all true. Your… your mother wrote that letter herself."

When neither child said anything, Gary continued, "So, you see, that's why; that's why I never, wrote, I never called, or visited. I… I didn't…"

"…you didn't know." Luke finished quietly, looking up from the letter in his sister's hands.

Gary nodded slowly, "That's right. I wish I had… more than ever. Because now… here you are," He smiled sadly, "You're fourteen years old—almost grown! I, I missed out on the first part of your life. And that… that just kills me."

No one said anything for a moment, then Gary announced, "I, I've got some more stuff about your mom in this box here," He indicated the box at his feet, "We can look at it now… or, or later—whatever you want…"

Lohan stood up and put the letter in Gary's hands and walked toward the loft door. When she reached the door, she put her hand on the knob and looked back, "I, I'm going downstairs for a while," She said quietly, "I kinda just… I just want to be alone right now."

And with those words, she opened the door and went downstairs.

Gary glanced over at Luke. The boy glanced at Gary, then said softly; "It, it's a lot t-to think about. I, I think I just want to be alone too." And he, also, left the room.

Gary watched his son leave and sighed, sitting back down. He glanced at the letter from Marcia and sat it gently in the cardboard box. Was life this confusing for everyone?

* * *

Luke was in his room. Well, it wasn't exactly his room; not yet anyway. It was still under construction, as was Lohan's and the bathroom. But it was nearly finished. The sheet rock was up and all that was left to do was pick out the paints and furnishings. And the truth was, Luke was almost afraid to get the room finished. After all, wouldn't that mean he was staying?

But right now, at the moment, he didn't really care about finishing the room. It was his mother he was concerned about. Why hadn't she ever told them? As much as he hated to admit it, it was true; Gary had never known about them. Because his mother had never told him; instead she… Luke shook his head vigorously. He hated to think about it. But reading the letter with his own eyes, seeing his mother's handwriting for himself, he knew it was true. It had to be. There was no other way around it. Was there?

* * *

Lohan, too, was in her bedroom, soon to be finished. She had very mixed feelings. She knew everything Gary had told her was true. She had seen the letter her mother wrote. It had to be true.

Now, knowing the truth, a part of her wanted to give in; to tell Gray how sorry she was for the way she had acted. There was a part of her that just wanted to let go of everything; the hate and the bitterness and all of the tears and frustration. She had never really had a father and now… now there was a part of her heart telling her to let go and embrace the father she had never known.

But the trouble lied within the other side of her; the side that still wanted to be bitter and hate everyone around her—especially Gary. This part of her still wanted to blame everything that had happened on him. When she sided with this part of her, she could almost believe that she didn't need a father, that she didn't need a family. But yet, still, she couldn't come to fully believe that. And that left her feeling even more frustrated.

* * *

Gary sat alone at the bar downstairs. Well, he wasn't exactly alone, but he was lost in his own thoughts. As the people milled about around him, he was thinking. After telling the kids the truth, he was wondering how they were going to react. It was natural for them to want to be alone for awhile. That's what Marissa had said. And Gary knew that. What he was concerned about was how things would play out _after_ they had spent time alone. He was hoping that they would even slightly change their attitudes. After all, they had to realize by now, what had _he_ done? All he wanted was for them to be happy again and to accept him. He had never seen them truly happy before, like they might have been six months ago. He wanted the chance to see them that happy once more.

* * *

It was the next morning. Gary had examined the Paper and was pleased to find that with the exception of two very minor saves, he had the morning off. That would mean, if the twins were up to it, that they could go to pick out some furnishings for the bedrooms. Gary was eager to get it done. He wanted the kids to feel at home and having their own bedrooms would definitely be a plus.

So a little while later, off they went. Gary was very surprised that they even agreed to go. Ever since the night before, both kids had been very subdued. They hadn't said hardly anything to anybody. Of course, Gary understood why. Everything he had told them was a lot to take in.

The first stop they made was for wallpaper and paint. As they browsed the aisles, neither twin said a word. Gary didn't know whether he should try and make conversation or not. Finally the wallpapers and paints were all decided. And they went off again. They spent the rest of the morning in town shopping. And by lunch time, Gary was glad they were done. He had never been fond of shopping and the kids hadn't said hardly a word. So after getting back to McGinty's, Gary ate a quick lunch and left for the afternoon. He had the Paper to deal with.

* * *

"Want some company?" Marissa asked later that afternoon. It was about one o'clock and she had entered the office only to find Lohan sitting alone on the couch.

Lohan just shrugged, then, remembering the woman couldn't see, she said, "I don't care."

Silently, Marissa eased herself into her desk chair. She was concerned; for Gary and the children as well. She may be blind, but she could see that there were some rough edges. And she knew it was wearing Gary down more than he could afford to be worn. After all, he was worn down enough, day after day just by taking care of the Paper. So, Marissa decided to take it upon herself to help him out. He needed all the help he could get.

"You want to talk about it?" Marissa asked gently, after a few moments of silence.

"No." Lohan mumbled.

"You know," Marissa said softly, "Being blind can have its advantages. I'm a good listener… if you want to talk or anything."

The girl didn't reply and for a few minutes there was complete silence except for the ticking of the clock on wall.

"Why does it have to be this way?" Lohan broke the silence,

"What?" Marissa asked, surprised that the girl had spoken up.

"Why does life have to be this way? I mean, I'm fourteen and all my life, I've never had a dad. I, I was always jealous of my friends because they did. You know," Lohan glanced up, "When I was little I used to dream about my daddy. Mom had always had us under the impression that Gary… that our dad had left us, you know?"

"Mmm, hmmm," Marissa said softly.

"When I was little I used to dream about my daddy coming back, you know," Lohan continued quietly, softly closing her eyes, "I, I would dream about him coming back home. He would be tall… a-and handsome… and he would walk in the door and when he would see us, he would scoop me up in his arms and give me a, a great big hug. He'd tell us all how sorry he was for leaving and that… that he'd never leave us again… ever. And he wouldn't either, you know. He'd do all sorts of things with us, just like my friends' dads. We'd play games, go camping, he'd tell us stories…" Lohan's voice drifted off wistfully.

"And then what happened?" Marissa asked.

"After a while, I, I stopped believing it," Lohan said. Marissa was almost sure she could hear tears in the girl's voice. "My tenth birthday came and… and I had still never seen my daddy. I guess I gave up after that. I wanted to find him, but I didn't even know his last name; just his first name. I used to ask mom if she would please help us find out where he was. I knew we could do it. But mom always said 'no'. I wanted to write him a letter and ask him to come back. So after a while, I guess I almost didn't want him to come back anymore. It was almost like I wanted to hate him. And for some reason a part of me still does. And I, I don't know why." Lohan added softly. After a moment she said, "Marissa?"

"Yes?"

"Marissa, how long have you known Gary?" Lohan asked.

"Probably about 15 years. Why?" Marissa replied. She was so glad that Lohan was opening up and talking.

"So… so you know all about what Gary told us about last night?"

"Yes. Yes, I do." Marissa nodded, "He told me about your talk."

"So, it's true, huh?" Lohan prodded, "M-my mom really did… divorce Gary. And Gary… Gary never knew about me or Luke?"

Marissa shook her head. "No, he didn't, Lohan. He never knew. And I'll tell you this, I know it tears his heart up… and it probably will for the rest of his life. Honey, I know beyond a doubt that your father loves you more than anything in this entire world."

Lohan shook her head, "I don't think so." She murmured.

"And why not?"

"I, I've been terrible ever since I've been here. I, I know I have. And he hasn't known us that long anyhow. How could he love somebody he's only known about for a week and a half?"

"Lohan, Gary loved you the minute he came to believe that he actually had children of his very own," Marissa explained, "Do you know how long that man has wanted kids? For a lot longer than the fifteen years I've known him. He used to talk about it all the time. And now… now I don't think he's ever been happier. And I think getting the Pap— Um, what I mean to say is I think God prevented Gary from getting re-married for a reason; and that reason is you and your brother."

Lohan let out a shaky sigh and stood up, "I, I think I just want to be alone for… for now, if you don't mind."

Marissa smiled and handed the girl a tissue, "I understand, honey. And if you ever need to talk… I'm right here, alright?"

Lohan nodded and headed for the door. "Okay… and Marissa?"

"Hmmm?"

"Thank you." Lohan said quietly. Then, shutting the door behind her, she left the room.

* * *

Alone with his thoughts, Luke felt terrible. He was so confused. He knew it was true about Gary and his mom, but he didn't want to believe it. All of a sudden, he didn't want to get to know Gary anymore. He didn't want his name; he didn't even want to talk to him! But he didn't understand why. Because just 24 hours earlier, he had almost liked Gary; he had _wanted _to get to know him. But now… now he wasn't sure _what_ he wanted.

Luke jumped up from the couch he was sitting on upstairs in the loft. Suddenly, he didn't care anymore. He didn't care about anything; not his schoolwork, not his friends or teachers, not even his own family! He didn't want to care anymore. He had come to the conclusion that _that_ was his problem; he just cared too much. He cared too much about his education and he cared too much about people; he always had. It was time for him to think of himself for once.

Yes, that was the answer. He had spent far too much timed doing what everyone else wanted him to. He was good and kind because that's what people expected of "a nice young man" like himself. He had concentrated hard on his education because that was what was expected of him. Instead of going to camp the previous summer, he had worked on his elderly neighbor's yard for a week, never receiving any pay, because the woman had broken her hip and could not do it herself. No one had asked him to do it, but he had felt the need to help her out in some way. Well, that was going to stop. He was tired of caring so much and he wasn't going to anymore.

* * *

"Well, how's it going, son?"

It was later that evening around ten o'clock. The twins were upstairs, supposedly asleep, while Gray was downstairs in the office, talking to his parents on the phone.

"Uh, it's, it's going alright, dad," Gary replied, shifting the telephone to the other ear, "I, I, I told them last night… about… everything, you know?"

"Gosh, Gar, that was quick! How'd they take it?" Bernie asked.

"Oh, they, well, they didn't take it that well, not at first." Gary explained.

"Well, that's too be expected," Lois joined in, "I know I didn't take entirely well at first either. I mean, I think that Marissa probably took it better than any of us; even your father."

"Uh, yeah, right— Um, mom, are we talking about the same thing here?" Gary asked, his forehead wrinkled in confusion.

"Well, sure we are!" Bernie exclaimed, "You let the cat outta the bag, right? Whoosh, boom, smack! Ya told them the truth!

"Well, y-yeah…" Gary replied slowly.

"About everything!" Lois exclaimed.

"Well, y-yes, I, I did, I s-suppose." Gary shrugged.

"About the Paper!" Bernie exclaimed.

"Yes, I did, and I—wait a minute," Gary stopped suddenly, "The Pap— I didn't tell them about the Paper!"

"You didn't?" Lois asked.

"No, I didn't! I was talking about me! Marcia! You know, about the two of us… you know; everything!"

"Oh," Lois said.

"_That_ everything…" Bernie replied, "We thought you were talking about the Paper…"

"Oh, so, how are they doing now?" Lois asked. "Are they alright?"

"Well, yeah, I think they are. I mean, they're upstairs right now, but, um, I, I think they're okay. They were kinda quiet today…"

They talked for about fifteen more minutes; Lois wanted pictures, Bernie wanted to get "those kids out of the city and go camping", and both grandparents couldn't wait to come down for Christmas.

Just as Gary was hanging up the phone, Marissa walked into the office. "Gary," The woman started. "I was going to leave now, but I wanted to talk to you first."

"U-uh, sure, sure," Gary stood up, helping the woman into a chair, "Sit down."

"Gary, I had a talk with your daughter today." Marissa started.

"Lohan?" Gary asked, quite surprised.

"Mmm, hmmm. Gary, that child is hurting."

"I, I know that, Marissa. I, I just don't know—"

"And she's confused," Marissa interrupted him, "She is very confused, Gary. She doesn't even know how to sort it all out herself. She needs a father."

"Yeah, well, that's the problem. She hates me, Marissa," Gary replied, "I don't want her to, but what can I do about it? She wants nothing to do with me. You know that."

Marissa shook her head. "No, I don't," She said, softly, "I think she does, Gary. A part of her does. A part of that child wants to give up everything; the hurt, the pain, the anger… everything. There's a part of her that wants to give it all up and learn to love you as a father and this," She waved her hand around, "As her home. But then there's the other part of her…"

"Trust me, I know all about that part." Gary grimaced.

Again, Marissa shook her head. "No, you don't, Gary. No one does; not even Lohan herself. She does not understand _why_ she feels the way she does. She doesn't want to feel that way. You don't know all about that part, Gary. You know all about the reactions to her feelings because, unfortunately, you seem to receive most of anger she releases."

"W-well, what can I do, Marissa?" Gary asked, shaking his head, "Be-because I'm at the end of my rope here. It's a good thing Luke acts decent because if both of them were this hard to deal with, then between the kids, McGinty's, and the Paper, well, then they'd have to ship me off to the funny farm, for sure."

"I think you should try and spend more time with them, Gary." Marissa stated.

"Uh, Marissa, don't get me wrong here, but… does it look like I have extra time to spend with anybody—I mean, I want to spend time with them; trust me, I'll _love_ to. But with the Paper…"

"That is exactly what I mean, Gary," Marissa stated firmly. "The Paper; start taking them out with you when you go… not everyday… but every now and then is good."

"Marissa, they already suspect something without me taking them out with the Paper even more! How am I supposed to think of an explanation for why a save a kid from getting bit by a dog… or why I'm somehow on the roof of a warehouse talking a bankrupt man from jumping? Huh? Because, I guarantee you, those kids are not stupid. They're gonna figure something out!"

"You'll think of something, Gary, just take them with you." Marissa insisted, "Did you ever stop to think that eventually, you _will_ have to tell them about the Paper? After hanging out with you and seeing you help _so_ many people, they'll have to believe you when you do tell them."

"Maybe your right, Marissa… and that might just be a good idea. I, I think I'll do that. And I guess if I'm going to be truthful, I'll have to admit that…" Gary took a deep breath and his eyes got real serious looking, "I have to admit, Marissa that I'm… I'm scared."

"I know, Gary," Marissa laid her hand on top of Gary's; "I know you are."

"I, I mean, what if I try my very hardest and… and then nothing changes. What if for the next years, these children live here only as long as they have to. Then… then when they're eighteen and no longer need a legal guardian… they leave. I, I'd never see them again… Marissa, what if I try for all those years, and they leave for good in the end. I, I just don't think I could handle that."

"I know, Gary, I know," Marissa said gently. "But you can't think that way; that's not going to help at all. You have to remember, it's only been about a week since they got here. Things are rough and I'd be worried if they weren't. It is too early to be thinking those thoughts. You've got to focus on now and just love those kids, Gary. They'll come around." Marissa smiled slightly, "I don't know anyone who hasn't been won over by the warm heart of Gary Hobson."

* * *

The next morning around 10:00 AM, Gary walked down into the bar, whistling. He wasn't sure why, but he felt joyful that morning; like nothing could happen to drag him down. Even though he had a pretty normal schedule with the Paper, he felt he could handle it all; _and_ bring the twins along with him.

"Hey, Mr. Hobson!" Patrick exclaimed, wiping down the bar with a washcloth, "You look happy this morning! Got a date?"

"As a matter of fact, I do, Patrick," Gary replied, shrugging into his jacket. For some reason, he didn't feel as annoyed with Patrick's perky personality as he usually did.

"Ooo, hoo, hoo," Patrick laughed, "Do you mind if I ask, Mr. Hobson… with you?"

"With my children, Patrick," Gary replied. He then walked over to the other end of the room where Luke and Lohan were busy with a card game.

"Hey," He greeted them.

"Hello," They said unison, neither one looking up from their cards.

"What'cha playing?" Gary asked.

"Go Fish" Lohan stated.

Gary nodded, "Who's winning?"

"I am." Luke stated.

After a moment of silence, Gary spoke again; "Hey, um, I'm going out today… would either of you be interested in going with me… I, I'd enjoy your company."

Gary was almost sure he could see a hint of a smile across Lohan's face. He was pleased when she stood up; "Sure, I'll go." She stated, "Let me just get my jacket." She quickly left the room.

"Um… how about you, Luke?" Gary asked, hopefully.

Luke shook his head, "No, I don't want to go."

"A-are you sure, Luke, I, I would really like you to come."

Again, Luke shook his head. "No, I don't want to. Lohan can go, but I'm staying." And with those words, he began to shuffle the deck of cards and deal out a game of solitaire. Gary could tell the conversation was over.

Just a moment later, Lohan came bounding down the stairs and into the bar. She had her jacket on over her sage green, corduroy overalls and looked ready to go.

"Are you ready to go?" Gary asked Lohan, eyeing her up and down.

"I'm ready," She stated, trying not to smile. She didn't want to appear too eager and she wouldn't admit it, but inside she was so glad Gary had asked them to go along with him. It made her feel warm inside in a way she had never felt before.

As they started for the McGinty's front door, Lohan paused and looked back at her brother who was sitting at the table himself with the deck of cards. "Aren't you coming, Luke?" She asked him.

Luke shook his head, "No, I'm not going. You go if you want to, but I'm not. I've got better things to do."

Lohan sighed, "Alright then, suit yourself." And with those words, she followed Gary out the door.

* * *

Marissa, who was sitting at the bar, had heard the entire conversation between Gary, Luke, and Lohan. She had heard everything and she now had a thought. Lohan was going with Gary. Marissa could tell just by listening to the girl's voice that she had been pleased that Gary had asked her along. Luke had chosen to stay and play cards by himself. He had sounded cold, almost angry. That was odd, Marissa had noted. Normally, it would have been the other way around. Two days ago, Luke would have gone and Lohan would have stayed. And Marissa suspected she knew exactly what was up; the tables had turned and each twin had changed their outlook; drastically. Yes, that was it. Marissa was sure. The tables had turned. 


	6. A Day Out

_Author's Note: To anybody who is still actually reading this, here is the long overdue chapter six. I could give you a number of excuses for why it ah taken me so long to update, but there really is no point. In the end, the majority of the time was my laziness. But now i plan to get back to writing this._

_And to anyone who is interested, after my year long hiatus, I am now also working on some stories for _Touched By an Angel_. So if you're interested, keep your eye out._

_Again, I am sorry for this excusable delay. Here is hoping you enjoy this next chapter_

* * *

**A Simple Twist of Fate  
6. A Day Out**

Lohan looked up at the man walking beside her. Gary was, she noticed, tall; just like she used to dream her father would be. And, she had to admit, he was rather handsome with his dark hair and muddy green eyes. He had a nice smile too; though she hadn't seen it much. It made her wonder why he had never gotten re-married. She was young; she readily admitted that. But even she could realize that there must be tons of women who would gladly marry a man like Gary Hobson. So why hadn't he ever re-married?

Lohan glanced over at Gary once again. He was studying an article in his newspaper. That was another thing the girl had noticed; that he almost seemed to have an obsession with newspapers. Everyone had to have a hobby; she knew that. But couldn't he do better than newspapers?

Her thoughts were suddenly interrupted by Gary's voice beside her. He was talking to a bald man in a suit and tie at a street crossing. "Excuse me, sir, but do you have the time?"

"Oh, sure!" The man replied kindly, "It is…. 10:32 AM."

"Thank you very much," Gary thanked the man kindly.

"Don't you already have a watch?" Lohan asked, as they began to walk down the street again. She was almost sure she had seen it on his wrist just this morning.

"Uh, y-yes, I do," Gary stammered, "It's just that this one, well, it's always speeding up or slowing down, so I just wanted to make sure I had the right time and all."

"Oh," Lohan nodded her head. That kind of made sense, she supposed.

"Lohan?"

The girl looked up at Gary, "Yes?"

"I just wanted to tell you how I really appreciate you coming with me." Gary told her, "It really means a lot to me."

Lohan just smiled. She wasn't sure what to say, so instead she said nothing at all. She felt strange. This was a feeling she had never felt before, except in her dreams when she was a little child. For the very first time, she actually felt a slight connection with the man who was her father. And she liked how it felt. And, she decided, Gary Hobson may not be so bad after all.

* * *

For the 22nd time, Luke dealt out a game of Solitaire. He wasn't even really concentrating on the games and he knew that. But he was trying to keep his mind off of the present happenings. He didn't want to think about Lohan, or Gary, or his mother, or his grandparents, or anybody else for that matter.

But as much as he tried, he really couldn't help thinking about things. For some reason, he could now understand how Lohan had been feeling for the past week. And he had to ask himself; _why_ had he even tried to defend Gary? But, of course, that led up to the question of why he _wouldn't_ try to defend Gary? _After all_, a little voice inside him kept saying, _Gary didn't do anything to you. Why are you angry with him? In any case, if it wasn't for him, you'd be living with your Aunt Susan right now. And you know what you think of her…_

Luke let out a loud sigh. He wasn't all that fond of his Aunt Susan. She had two little annoying poodles that she treated like they were her children. And she had this perky personality and always wanted to coo over "how big her niece and nephew were getting!"

Suddenly, a rough looking character walked into the bar and sat down. That's when Luke got an idea. The man reminded him of some kids at school he had seen. They were a rough crowd who cared about nobody but themselves. Before, Luke had steered away from them, but now…. Now he was wondering if maybe that was the kind of kids he'd be happy hanging out with. Luke had decided to drastically change his personality, so he needed to also drastically change the kind of people he called his 'friends'. Yes, that was what he would do. He'd join up with their group. He was tired of being a "good kid".

* * *

Marissa was sitting in the office, when suddenly the phone rang. Picking up the receiver, she said; "Hello; McGinty's,"

"Hey, Marissa!" It was Chuck Fishman from Los Angeles, California.

"Chuck," Marissa exclaimed. "How are you doing?"

"Oh, we're doing good," Chuck answered, "Alex started 5th grade this year. He loves it." Married to his wife, Jade, Chuck had two kids; Alex who was ten, and Emma who was seven.

"Oh, that's great," Marissa replied, smiling.

"Hey, um, Marissa, how's Gary doing?" Chuck asked next.

"Well… they're doing alright, I suppose," Marissa said, "But it hasn't been easy, Chuck. I tell you, those children have a mind of their own."

Chuck laughed quietly, "Just like Gare," Then he got serious again, "Hey, the reason I called is because Jade and I thought that if you two need any help with anything… I'd be glad to come over anytime. I mean, if Gary needs to know anything about parenting-I mean _anything_-anything at all, he can talk to me, 'kay?"

"I appreciate that," Marissa chuckled, "But what about work?"

"Ah, the studio can get along without me for a few days," Chuck replied, "Just say the word and I'll be on the next flight to Chicago, alright? I don't want Gary doing this alone."

Marissa smiled. Chuck was still mostly the same old Chuck Fishman, but over last few years he had changed some. And it was definitely for the better.

"Alright; Thanks, Chuck."

"No problem, Marissa," Chuck stated, "That's what friends are for, right? And I think right now, Gary could really use his friends."

* * *

Gary sighed with relief as he glanced at his watch. It was two-thirty in the afternoon and so far the day had gone by smoothly. He and Lohan had gotten along fine and now that Gary had a four hour break in the Paper, he had a surprise in mind for his daughter. 

"Where are we going?" Lohan asked. They were riding in cab and as they drove, they were getting further and further from the hustle and bustle of the city.

"It's a surprise." Gary replied suspiciously with a wink.

Lohan sighed and leaned back against the seat of the car. She had never liked surprises much.

Fifteen minutes later, the cab driver pulled over and stopped. Thanking the driver, Gary got out of the vehicle and motioned for Lohan to do the same.

Once they were outside the taxi, Lohan looked around and it didn't take long for her to realize where they were. There were horses everywhere; of every size, color, and breed. She looked up and, sure enough, a wooden sign hung in the air that said; _Liever Stable and Ranch_.

Lohan looked up at Gary who was now standing beside her, a smile on his face.

"What are we doing here?" She asked.

"Well….." Gary started slowly, "I have some extra time on my hands and I thought that… you know, since I heard you liked horses, I thought that maybe we could go for a ride or something."

Lohan's mouth dropped open in astonishment. "Are you serious?"

"Yeah, well sure I am. But if you don't want to…" His voice trailed off, as his mud-green eyes twinkled with mischief.

"Oh, no, I do! I would love to!" She exclaimed gleefully. "Can we really?"

"Mmm, hmmm," Gary nodded, "C'mon, let's go."

* * *

Lohan happily followed Gary up the driveway towards the stable. They walked into the barn and Lohan breathed in the familiar scent of horses, sweat, leather, and hay. Oh; how she loved that smell! She always felt at home with horses. 

A man with a lead rope slung over his shoulder and a clipboard in his hands walked over towards them. He appeared to be in his early fifties, but in good shape. "Can I help you people?" He asked kindly.

"Um, yes," Gary nodded, "We're here to rent some horses."

"Well, I'm glad you're here then," The man smiled. He stuck out his hand, "John Liever." He introduced himself.

"I'm Gary Hobson. We spoke on the phone this morning." Gary shook the man's hand, "And this is my daughter, Lohan. She loves horses."

"It's nice to meet you," Mr. Liever said, "Well; why don't we get you some horses. Have you ridden before?"

Gary glanced down at Lohan, inquiring silently.

She grinned, "I used to take twice-a-week lessons in Springfield."

Gary nodded, "Yes, we've both ridden before."

"Well, good." Mr. Liever smiled, "Then I have just the horses for you." He brought them to two stalls right next to each other. Two horses stuck their heads into the aisle.

"This," Mr. Liever said, rubbing a dark brown horse between the eyes, "is Casey. She's about nine-years-old. And this," He patted a gray horse's neck, "This is Saturn. He's around eight-years-old by now. I think these horses will suit you just fine."

"Thank you very much, Mr. Liever," Gary smiled, "We appreciate it."

"Oh, it's 'John' and you're very welcome." Mr. Liever pointed to a wall with tack hanging on it neatly. "Their tack is right there on that wall. If you need anything, just let me know." And with a slight wave, he left the two alone.

"This is terrific, Gary!" Lohan said happily, "Thank you so much!"

"Well, I'm glad you like it, now; which horse do you want to ride?" Gary asked.

Lohan bit her lip. She studied each horse carefully. She knew from experience that each and every horse had their own disposition. Just like people. And they too had their good days and bad days. But she could tell right away that both Casey and Saturn were having good days. But she liked Casey's personality very much, so she pointed to him.

"I think that I'd like to ride Casey." She quickly glanced up at Gary. "Un-unless, of course… you wanted to ride him."

Gary smiled and handed the girl Casey's tack. "No, no you go right ahead. I don't mind."

Lohan smiled shyly and silently took the tack from Gary. They both began to tack up the horses, neither one saying anything to each other

* * *

.Half an our later, Gary and Lohan were riding side by side on a trail in a seemingly forgotten area on the furthest outskirts of Chicago. It was a wooded area with plenty of trees and flowers. It was a beautiful day to be out and Gary couldn't help, but feel hopeful. But neither one of them had said much, so Gary tried to make some small talk. 

"So I talked to my parents on the phone the other night." He commented while glancing over at his daughter.

She nodded, then her eyes lit up with a new discovery and she looked at Gary curiously. "My grandparents?"

He smiled and nodded. "Yes, I guess so. They are very eager to meet you and Luke." he added.

She gave a tiny smile. "Where do they live?"

"Hickory, Indiana." Gary replied. "You have probably never heard of it, because it is a very small town. But I grew up there."

"What made you come here to Chicago?" Lohan asked.

Gary shrugged. "I don't really know. I guess I just wanted to get out the small town atmosphere and feel a little independence. My mother, your grandmother, she can be very protective, you see. And me being an only child..."

She nodded in understanding. "Your parents probably love you very much." She said shyly.

"I guess they do." Gary admitted with a weak smile. Then looked very at his daughter with concern in his mud-puddle green eyes. "Your mother loved you very much, Lohan. Don't ever forget that."

She sighed almost subtly. "I know that. But i just don't understand why she would lie to us about you. It seems so unfair."

Gary nodded. "I know it does, because, trust me, it was unfair to me too."

There was some silence for a few moments, but then Lohan broke it with a question. "Are you mad at her?" She asked.

"Your mother?" Gary checked.

"Mmm, hmm." She nodded.

Gary sighed. "I don't really know myself, Lohan." He replied honestly. "I know you and your brother are both going through a lot of mixed feelings right now. But so am I."

Lohan nodded. "Its okay if you're mad at her, Gary. Sometimes I feel mad at her too." She admitted quietly.

Startled, Gary looked over at his daughter to see her quietly staring subconsciously at the path ahead.

Confused, he shook his head. This was a new development. He never really expected the children to get angry with their mother. He made a mental note to talk to Marissa about that later that evening.


End file.
